Publication

This paper argues that the Western Balkans constitute the only realistic area for NATO enlargement in the near future. The membership ambitions of candidate and 'non-candidate' countries, however, vary widely, as this paper describes. It also analyzes the rationale behind NATO enlargement in the region, Brussels' actual willingness to follow this path, and what candidate countries can do to improve their chances of receiving a membership invitation at the 2014 NATO Summit.