In your ruminations about security arrangements in Europe you focus on America and Russia (“A New Balance in Europe,” November 21, 2009). Now that both the European Union and NATO’s enlargement appears to be a matter of mopping up a few Balkan stragglers, Russia seems to be quite content with the arrangement. As a guarantor of security for Europe, America seems to be quite content with it, too. But this analysis skips an important country that now concerns both America and Russia: China. This is where the real focus of their attention actually lies. Europe is both America and Russia’s backyard now. And American concessions in Europe, concerning NATO’s enlargement and missile-defense stations close to Russia’s border, must be understood in this context. For better or worse, America and Russia may well work ever more closely in response to China’s growing rôle in world affairs. A new balance in Europe thus suits both America and Russia.