Russia's aggression in Crimea brings NATO into renewed focus

Ian Bond, director of foreign policy at the CER, said that "Putin has just given NATO something to do, but the question is whether NATO is up to it."

Some officials, like Foreign Secretary William Hague of Britain, have said that the alliance "is not looking at military options here, this is not a Crimean War." But Mr Bond said he thinks such statements are a mistake. "There’s a risk Putin will listen to that and think moving into eastern Ukraine is as limited as taking over South Ossetia and Abkhazia: a couple weeks of weak sanctions," he said.