On the recordJanuary 27, 1994
I have long supported the notion of offering NATO membership to those newly democratized nations of Central Europe which are seeking it so avidly. Our failure to respond to the Czech Republic's, Hungary's and Poland's desire for membership, unless rectified, could provide ominous for the future of this vital region of the world. Twice this century this region has proved turned into an East-West battlefield. If this situation is not to recur, we would be well-advised to cement the new democracies of the region into a broad stable security framework which can guarantee their security. NATO alone can fulfil this role. I have heard some of my colleagues assert, quite rightly, that Russia has no right to exercise a veto over Czech, Hungarian, or Polish membership of NATO. By shrinking from addressing this vital question, the Clinton administration may have played into the hands of Moscow's new hard liners--we have demonstrated that, indeed, they can aspire to have a veto over the foreign and security policies of the sovereign nations of Central Europe.
