While Poland was labeled "America's best friend" by President George W. Bush, Belarus was by no means seeking alignment with the U.S., whereas Ukraine-U.S. relations were subject to many ups and downs. These attitudes towards Washington led to very different policy approaches from a U.S. vantage point. As this study thus shows, the U.S. did not have an overall strategy for the region. Rather, Washington managed its relations with European states through a set of mainly bilateral relations. Madeleine Albright once described the tools of foreign policy as including "everything from kind words to cruise missiles." 

This book is a comparative case study of the U.S. use of these tools in its approaches toward Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus after the end of the Cold War. As the "only remaining superpower," Washington played a key role in Central and Eastern Europe. Yet, its actions and policies have received comparatively little attention. This book contributes to filling that gap by providing three in-depth case studies.

About the author: 

Barbara Kunz is a research fellow at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri). She specializes in Euro-Atlantic security affairs with a special emphasis on Franco-German security and defense cooperation and security dynamics in the Baltic Sea region. Barbara Kunz holds a PhD from Stockholm University and is a graduate of Sciences Po, Paris

Foreword by William Hill.

Kind Words, Cruise Missiles, and Everything in Between. The Use of Power Resources in U.S. Policies towards Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus 1989–2008.

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