The liberal core and the realist periphery in Europe*

The post‐Cold War world is divided into two worlds ‐ a liberal core and a realist periphery. The core and the periphery, however, are not permanently divided, and their interaction in Europe is particularly dynamic. In general, the core powers ‐ led by the United States ‐ have moved to expand their zone of peace and prosperity eastward. And while Russia should (and often says it does) feel threatened by this eastern expansion, Moscow has generally pursued a policy of integration with the West for the last decade. Notes We would like to thank Deborah Avant, Thomas Christensen, Derek Chollet, Matthew Evangelista, Martha Finnemore, Dalia Dassa Kaye, Andrew Kuchins, Sarah Mendelson, Henry Nau, Scott Sagan, Jenab Tutunji, and William Wohlforth for their comments.