Former US Ambassador to NATO, Robert Hunter, on the Russo-Ukrainian War

My guest today is Ambassador Robert Hunter (born 1940), a retired top diplomat of the State Departement and a scholar of international politics. In this interview, we talk about the Cold War, the fate of NATO right after the end of the bipolarity, the meaning of NATO expansion, and how Europe went on a diplomatic track of escalation, culminating in the war between Ukraine and Russia.

He received his PhD from the London School of Economics and has published over 1000 news pieces and academic articles. He also authored several books about US foreign policy and NATO.

During the Carter Administration, Ambassador Hunter served on the National Security Council Staff as Director of West European Affairs, and later as Director of Middle East Affairs. He was a member of the U.S. negotiating team for talks on the West Bank and Gaza, and was the principal author of the Carter Doctrine for the Persian Gulf.

Most importantly, under president Clinton he served as Ambassador to NATO during the crucial years of 1993-1998. He was the principal architect of the “New NATO”, leading the North Atlantic Council in implementing decisions of the 94 and 97 NATO Summits. He served on Secretary Cohen’s Defense Policy Board and was Vice Chairman of the Atlantic Treaty Association (’98-’01).