What is NATO?

NATO is a military and political bloc that unites most European countries, the United States and Canada.

When NATO was created

In March 1948, the European countries of Belgium, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France signed the Brussels Pact, which later formed the Western European Union. This event is considered the beginning of the formation of the North Atlantic Alliance. At the same time, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom were holding secret talks on the formation of a union where their civilisational unity would be the prerogative. Soon after, European countries negotiated with the United States and Canada to create a single union, which was later called NATO. This historic event took place on 4 April 1949 in the United States. The purpose of the alliance was to protect European countries from Soviet influence. The treaty officially entered into force on 24 August 1949 after its ratification.

The first twelve countries to become NATO members:

• USA;
• Canada;
• Iceland;
• United Kingdom;
• France;
• Belgium;
• Netherlands;
• Luxembourg;
• Norway;
• Denmark;
• Italy;
• Portugal.

Thus, a “transatlantic forum” was created to hold consultations between allied countries on the most important issues regarding events that threaten the security of its members. Ensuring the deterrence of any manifestations of aggression against the territory of any NATO member and defence against it is the primary task of this organisation.

Which countries are members of NATO

NATO has been enlarged several times throughout its history.

The “first NATO enlargement” took place in 1952 with the accession of Greece and Turkey.

In 1954, NATO rejected the USSR’s application for membership.

NATO’s “second enlargement” took place in 1955 with the accession of West Germany.

In 1966, the French state remained a member of NATO’s political structure, but left the military organisation. French President Charles de Gaulle took this step because he wanted France’s military, economic and financial independence from the United States. Charles de Gaulle proposed a reorganisation of NATO, aimed at limiting the US position and strengthening the French one, but the US and the UK categorically refused, which resulted in the relocation of NATO headquarters from Paris to Brussels and the withdrawal of US military bases from France. But this did not prevent France from taking an active part in the bloc’s military operation against Yugoslavia in 1999.

In 1974, Greece left NATO due to tensions with Turkey, but returned in 1981.

NATO’s “third enlargement” took place in 1982 with the accession of Spain to NATO.

After the reunification of Germany, the GDR was included in the alliance as part of Germany.

NATO’s “fourth enlargement” took place in 1999 after the end of the Cold War. At that time, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic joined the bloc.

The “fifth NATO enlargement” took place in 2004, when Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Estonia joined the Alliance.

The “sixth NATO enlargement” took place in 2009 with the accession of Croatia and Albania. At this time, France returned to all NATO structures.

The “seventh enlargement” took place in 2017, when Montenegro joined NATO.

The “eighth enlargement” in 2020 ended with the accession of North Macedonia.

Who can become a NATO member

Thirty countries are currently members of NATO. The bloc currently recognises Bosnia and Herzegovina. In December 2018, it received a Membership Action Plan from NATO. Georgia and Ukraine are considered candidates for membership. Currently, NATO has created a programme called the Partnership for Peace.

Participants in this programme:

• Austria;
• Azerbaijan;
• Armenia;
• Belarus;
• Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Georgia; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belarus; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Georgia;
• Ireland; Georgia; Ireland;
• Kazakhstan;
• Kyrgyzstan; Ireland; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan;
• Malta;
• Moldova;
• Russia;
• Serbia;
• Tajikistan;
• Turkmenistan;
• Uzbekistan;
• Ukraine;
• Finland;
• Switzerland;
• Sweden.

Does NATO have its own army

The North Atlantic Council is NATO’s supreme body. South Africa controls the military-political process related to security issues in relation to the international organisation, which finally approved its official anthem on 3 January 2018.

The anthem is based on a wordless musical composition for twenty instruments composed in 1989 by the conductor of the Luxembourg Military Band, Andre Reichling. In 1966, the Military Planning Committee was established, consisting of the defence ministers of all NATO member states. This committee meets twice a year.

Officially, until the end of the Cold War, NATO forces did not participate in any military operations. But since the end of the twentieth century, NATO forces have been involved in such conflicts:

1. The Yugoslav wars during the breakup of the country in 1991-2001.
2. Operation Deliberate Force in 1995 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
3. Operation Allied Force in Kosovo in 1999.
4. Operations in Afghanistan:
   • ISAF (2001-2014);
   • Operation Resolute Support (2014-2021).

5. Operation Unified Protector in Libya in 2011. 

In 2007, the armed forces of NATO countries numbered about 5 million military personnel.

In 2010, the armed forces of the bloc’s member states numbered more than 3.8 million. The armed forces of the Alliance are:

• Joint Armed Forces (JAF) at the disposal of the bloc;
• armed forces that remain under national command.

In 2020, the total military spending of all NATO members was over 57% of the global total. Allies have agreed to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defence until 2024.

The Armed Forces consists of units, formations and units of the ground forces and air forces of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, as well as the air forces of Norway and Denmark. During wartime and periodic exercises, the navies of the above-mentioned countries and most of the troops of Norway, Denmark, Portugal and Luxembourg are at the disposal of the Armed Forces.

How NATO defends itself

Since its foundation, NATO’s goal has been to confront the USSR, and later the countries that were party to the Warsaw Pact, which was signed in 1955.

In 2010, the alliance’s strategic policy “Active Engagement, Modern Defence” set out three main tasks for NATO:

• Collective defence;
• Crisis management;
• Cooperative security.

In the first half of 2015, the international organisation returned to its primary task, only now the main threat instead of the USSR’s aggression is a possible attack by the Russian state.

In July 2016, at the NATO summit, Russia was officially recognised as the main threat to the security of the bloc, and its containment was defined as a new NATO mission.

A rapid reaction force was created to provide operational support to NATO operations. On 22 November 2002, a meeting of NATO Heads of State and Government took place in Prague, where they adopted the concept of the NRF by adopting a declaration. It was approved by the defence ministers of the North Atlantic Alliance only in June 2003.

By February 2022, the USF had been deployed four times:

1. In 2004, during the Summer Olympic Games in Athens.
2. In autumn 2004, during the presidential elections in Afghanistan.
3. In August 2005, when the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was being eliminated.
4. In October 2005, during the humanitarian operation after the earthquake in Pakistan.

NATO has established centres responsible for analysing and implementing information security. There are twenty such centres in NATO member states. Three of them are located in the Baltic states. Lithuania is responsible for energy security, Latvia is in charge of strategic communication, and Estonia is in charge of cybersecurity.

The Latvian Strategic Communication Centre is located in Riga. Its mission is to conduct research and develop recommendations in four areas: information and psychological operations, public relations, and propaganda.The centre pays much attention to the development of means of countering Russian Internet trolls.

NATO and the war in Ukraine

On 25 February 2022, an online meeting of the heads of the bloc’s member states was held, at which they proposed to deploy the NATO Strategic Command to protect member states from possible Russian aggression during the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine. Three days later, this decision was officially documented.