NATO Expansion and Russian Relations

I think the one

place where the greatest consternation would be caused in the short term

for admission,

having nothing to do with the merit and preparedness of the countries come in,

would be to admit the Baltic states now in terms of

NATO-Russian, US-Russian relations.

And if there was ever anything that was going to tip the balance,

were it to be

tipped

in terms of a vigorous and hostile reaction, I don't mean

military, in Russia, it would be that.

So the way I look at the calculus here is I-