NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, remains a problem for the U.S.  Did it lose its purpose and objective after the Soviet Union was declared dissolved by Mikhail Gorbachev on December 25, 1991, or is it still a useful instrument of Western military and political policies? The organization did not disband, but rather altered its mission and expanded in numbers, including former Warsaw Pact members Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.  The U.S., though troubled by these changes, did not withdraw from NATO.  Germany remained as the crucial European partner.  Though Russia was obviously concerned about these developments, it is unlikely that this NATO expansion was a significant reason for Russia's more aggressive posture in recent years. On April 4, 2019, NATO celebrated its 70th birthday at a gathering of the foreign ministers representing the 29 countries now members of the military pact.  The pact began with 12 members...(Read Full Article)