Organization of the North Atlantic treaty, or NATO has long been the guarantor of security in the North Atlantic region and continues to be so.
Over more than 70 years of existence, the Alliance has not only expanded significantly, but also helps other partner countries take care of their security and conduct joint exercises . Here's what you need to know about NATO.
What is NATO?
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is an international organization, a military-political alliance created to ensure the collective defense of the countries of Western Europe and North America, maintaining peace and security in the North Atlantic region.
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The Alliance is based on the North Atlantic Treaty, signed in Washington on April 4, 1949.
NATO is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes and is committed to the values of the rule of law, democracy and individual freedom. p>
Which countries are members of NATO?
At the time of the founding of the Alliance, it included 12 countries. For more than 70 years, thenumber of states — NATO members increased to 30.
By as of 2023, the Alliance includes:
- Albania;
- Belgium;
- Great Britain;
- Greece;
- Denmark;
- Iceland;
- Spain;
- Italy;
- Canada;
- Luxembourg ;
- Netherlands;
- Germany;
- Norway;
- North Macedonia;
- Poland;
- Portugal;
- United States of America;
- Turkey;
- Hungary;
- France;
- Czech Republic;
- Lithuania;
- Latvia;
- Estonia;
- Romania;
- Bulgaria;
- Slovakia;
- Slovenia;
- Croatia;
- Montenegro;
- Finland.
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Who can become a member of NATO?
The Alliance adheres to the so-called “open door” policy. That is, any country can join NATOif it reaches its standards (political, military and economic).
In addition, it must share the principles of the North Atlantic Treaty.
Since April 1999, another prerequisite for NATO membership is the approval ofthe Membership Action Program(MAP). It spells out measures to prepare the state for membership in the Alliance.
Each individual country can fill the MAP with content that it considers important for implementation in the current circumstances.
In May 2022 Finland and Swedenofficially announced their intention to join NATO.
On July 5, the Alliance countries signed the Protocol on the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO, which allowed the process of ratification to begin.
And on September 30, 2022, it became known that Ukraine had submitted an application to join NATO in an expedited manner.
Does NATO have its own army?
The North Atlantic Alliance does not have its own armed forces. To resolve military issues, the armies of countries are used — members of NATO.
How does NATO defend itself?
NATO's defense is carried out on the basis of the principle of collective security enshrined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
It states that an armed attack on one or more members of the Allianceis regarded as aggressive actions against all its members. strong>
In such a case, NATO will exercise its right to protection and will provide affected member countries with all assistance it deems necessary, in particular military assistance.
The purpose of such actions is to restore and maintain security in the North Atlantic region.
When was Article 5 applied?
NATO applied Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty only once — after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The operation began only after it was confirmed that the attacks were coming from abroad. On October 4 of the same year, the Alliance adopted a package of measures aimed at supporting the United States in countering the foreign threat.
Slightly later, NATO launched its first counterterrorism operation. It lasted from mid-October 2001 to mid-May 2002.
How does NATO help Ukraine?
With the outbreak of a full-scale war on the territory of Ukraine, NATO helps coordinate requests from the Ukrainian authorities and helps ensure humanitarian aid and non-lethal assistance.
Individual NATO member states supply weapons, ammunition and various types of light and heavy military equipment to Ukraine, in particular, anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems, howitzers and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Now the state — Alliance members provided Ukraine with military equipment worth billions of euros. Which has positively improved the situation on the battlefield.
Most NATO allies provide humanitarian aid to Ukrainians and provide shelter to millions of Ukrainian refugees.
