but there were also skeptics. tom friedman the writer tom friedman who also is a former wilson scholar wrote an op-ed last month in which he quoted his 1998 interview with it then 94-year-old george kennan. said kennan, i think the russians will gradually react quite adversely and it will affect their policies. we have signed up to protect a whole series of countries even though we have neither the resources nor the intention to do so in any serious way. so segue to 2014 and the urgent challenge to de-escalate conflict and avoid miscalculation over the events in ukraine and russia. nato expansion is again being scrutinized. today's topic into the fold or out in the cold could not be more timely or fit better with what the wilson center does well our kennan institute headed by