STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT neously with a burden-sharing debate that has been intensified by the USA and with recurring tensions in its relations with its member state Turkey. Following Presidential candidate Trump's repeated and trenchant expression of doubts about the benefits of NATO, the US administration has nonetheless reaffirmed its commitment and expressly acknowledged its obligation to provide assistance in the event of an attack (Art. 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty). However, it has not succeeded in dispelling fundamental doubts about President Trump's transatlantic commitment. In addition, NATO's cohesion and capacity to act is increasingly being put to the test by Turkey. The gradual repression of democratic and constitutional norms is only one aspect of broader developments in that country. Across the board, Turkey is adopting an assertive stance in distinct contrast to the Western-dominated European order. In terms of security and military policy, it is also asserting itself decisively as a flexible regional power between the EU/NATO, Russia and the Middle East. Its relationship with NORWAY** UNITED KINGDOM** Minsk KAZAKHSTAN Kiev UKRAINE SLOVAKIA ITALY RUSSIA BELARUS POLAND AUSTRIA* MOLDOVA HUNGARY SOVENIA* CROATIA SPAIN Moscow CZECH REP. SWITZERLAND NATO and EU territories * EU member only ** NATO member only Customs Union with Russia ESTONIA LATVIA Baltic S ea LITHUANIA RUS. NETHERLANDS GERMANY BELGIUM LUX. FRANCE Growing pressure from the east At the same time, external pressure on Europe is increasing. To the east, the Russian state has been reinvigorated under President Putin's leadership. It is currently more politically stable, economically robust and militarily capable than it has ever been since the fall of the So­viet FINLAND* SWEDEN* DENMARK IRELAND Europe and also with the USA is under considerable strain in key areas such as internal security and counter-terrorism (prosecution of actual and alleged government opponents in Europe and the USA), regional policy (Kurdish question) and armaments policy (procurement projects in collaboration with Russia). NATO, confronted with these internal challenges, thus finds itself in the midst of a fundamental debate about its ability to withstand crisis, its political will and capability to meet mutual defense commitments on the European continent and its capability to deter external challenges, all of which have been ascribed to it for decades by its rivals and on which the current security order in Europe largely depends. ROMANIA Bl ac k S e a SERBIA MONTENEGRO** Crimea BULGARIA Caucasus GEORGIA AZERB. ARMENIA ALBANIA** TURKEY** Mediterranean Sea GREECE SIT UAT ION R E PORT 2 0 1 8 | FIS 15