---
title: "4 Expansion Quotes By John Mearsheimer"
description: "4 Expansion quotes by John Mearsheimer. Plus more from John Mearsheimer and more Expansion sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd8/john-mearsheimer-3817_eastern-europe_nato-expansion-e-u-expansion-and-turning_431322.jpg"
---

> [NATO expansion, E.U. expansion, and turning Ukraine and Georgia and other countries into liberal democracies were all about creating a giant zone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/nato-expansion-e-u-expansion-and-turning-ukraine-and-georgia-and/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd8/john-mearsheimer-3817_eastern-europe_nato-expansion-e-u-expansion-and-turning_431322.jpg)

> [In the eyes of Russian leaders, E.U. expansion is a stalking horse for NATO expansion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/in-the-eyes-of-russian-leaders-e-u-expansion-is-a-stalking-horse-for/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c0/john-mearsheimer-3817_expansion_in-the-eyes-of-russian-leaders-e-u-expan_749737.jpg)

> [The Russians have intensely disliked but tolerated substantial NATO expansion, including the accession of Poland and the Baltic countries. But when NATO…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/the-russians-have-intensely-disliked-but-tolerated-substantial-nato/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/john-mearsheimer-3817_expansion_the-russians-have-intensely-disliked-but_1933279.jpg)

> [I'm a realist, and I thought from the get-go that NATO expansion was going to lead to one heck of a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/i-m-a-realist-and-i-thought-from-the-get-go-that-nato-expansion-was/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/707/john-mearsheimer-3817_expansion_i-m-a-realist-and-i-thought-from-the-get_2887874.jpg)

## Other authors on Expansion

## More by John Mearsheimer

> [Since the mid-1990s, Russian leaders have adamantly opposed NATO enlargement, and in recent years, they have made it clear that they would not stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/since-the-mid-1990s-russian-leaders-have-adamantly-opposed-nato/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [The unpleasant truth is that some borders are untenable and preserving them causes conflict, not peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/the-unpleasant-truth-is-that-some-borders-are-untenable-and/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [Decapitation is a fanciful strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/decapitation-is-a-fanciful-strategy/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [Great powers react harshly when distant rivals project military power into their neighborhood, much less attempt to make a country on their border an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/great-powers-react-harshly-when-distant-rivals-project-military-power/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [I hate sleeping in the woods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/i-hate-sleeping-in-the-woods/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [When the United States worked to contain the Soviet Union during the Cold War, we went to enormous lengths to get as many countries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/when-the-united-states-worked-to-contain-the-soviet-union-during-the/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [The central aim of American foreign policy has traditionally been to dominate the western hemisphere while not permitting another great power to dominate Europe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/the-central-aim-of-american-foreign-policy-has-traditionally-been-to/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [Nuclear weapons are the ideal middle-class weapons for Americans. They provide massive amounts of deterrence on the cheap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/nuclear-weapons-are-the-ideal-middle-class-weapons-for-americans-they/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [States have two kinds of power: latent power and military power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/states-have-two-kinds-of-power-latent-power-and-military-power/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [Erosion of sovereignty is one more reason a powerful state with a liberal foreign policy ends up fighting never ending wars and fostering militarism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/erosion-of-sovereignty-is-one-more-reason-a-powerful-state-with-a/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [Simply put, the most powerful state is the one that prevails in a dispute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/simply-put-the-most-powerful-state-is-the-one-that-prevails-in-a/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [What disappoints me about Obama is that, when he came into office, he gave the impression he was going to reduce America's global commitments,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/what-disappoints-me-about-obama-is-that-when-he-came-into-office-he/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [The question of whether or not the United States or any other great power should expand, should pursue regional hegemony, or pursue global hegemony,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/the-question-of-whether-or-not-the-united-states-or-any-other-great/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [The more closely any ism accords with human nature, the more relevance it will have in the real world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/the-more-closely-any-ism-accords-with-human-nature-the-more-relevance/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [Offensive realism predicts that the United States will send its army across the Atlantic when there is a potential hegemon in Europe that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/offensive-realism-predicts-that-the-united-states-will-send-its-army/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

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