Strategy of Counterbalancing and Containment? NATO’s Eastern Flank Countries Facing Positional War on the Russo-Ukrainian Front

Abstract

In the end of 2022 the Russo-Ukrainian conflict entered the phase of lasting positional war. The article analyses functioning of mechanisms quintessential for counterbalancing and containment strategies under conditions of relative stability of the frontline. In particular, the following categories are considered: security dilemma, free riding in the context of diffusion of responsibility, the risk of ally’s abandonment and economic conditions linked with the above. Particular attention is paid to the cases of Poland and Slovakia under Robert Fico’s leadership, indicating international factors related to counterbalancing and containment. In conclusion the article asserts that NATO eastern flank countries basically have been practicing counterbalancing and containment, and the positional war’s context shapes their specific manifestations.