When international conflicts arise, intergovernmental or international organizations step in or offer assistance. Currently, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, NATO has condemned Russia’s actions. You might then ask yourself, what is NATO and what has it done in the past to help Ukraine? Read more about the organization and the history of NATO below.
What is NATO?
You’ve probably heard the acronym NATO tossed around before. They took action during 9/11. After all, the United States of America (USA) was one of the first 12 members of the treaty, and the organization expressed its support for the USA’s response to the attacks. That said, what does NATO mean? NATO is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Below are the member states of the organization, and let’s also take a look at the history of NATO.
NATO Member States and Partners
As previously mentioned, there were 12 country signatories to the Washington Treaty. These are the original member states:
- United States of America
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- Belgium
- Denmark
- France
- Iceland
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- The Netherlands
- Norway
- Portugal
They added two more nations to the list three years later: Greece and Turkey.
Before the 2000s started, the following nations joined:
- Germany
- Spain
- Czech Republic
- Hungary
- Poland
More European states joined NATO from 2004 to 2020, and they are:
- Bulgaria
- Estonia
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Albania
- Croatia
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
The organization also has partners from other non-member states in Europe; including Russia and Ukraine. Plus, they have partners from the Mediterranean region, four nations from the Gulf Cooperation Council, and other global partners, including Australia and Japan.
The History of NATO
The formation of NATO dates back to 1949, four years after World War II. Twelve nations signed the 14-page Washington Treaty on April 4, 1949. There’s a misconception that NATO was formed because of the then-Soviet Union. NATO said that was true, but they also wanted to prevent further nationalist militarism and for Europe to become politically integrated.
It wasn’t until a year later that NATO decided it needed a military command structure. This happened after the Soviet Union detonated an atom bomb in 1949 and the growing unrest in Korea due to the Korean War in 1950.
NATO enforced its collective defense principle and ensured the protection of its members during the Cold War. And two years after the fall of the Berlin wall, NATO expanded its alliance with its partners for enhanced cooperation, stability, and integration. Added to that, during 9/11, aside from standing by the USA’s decision, they invoked Article 5 of the treaty for the first time since its inception. This signaled a coalition, including NATO members, to form the Operation Enduring Freedom mission against Al-Qaeda.
Fast forward to the present time, NATO has taken a stand with Ukraine since 2014 after Russia has illegally annexed Crimea. Crimea is part of Ukraine, as indicated in a United Nations Resolution, despite Russian troops taking over the territory since that time.
NATO’s Role in the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
A few weeks after Russia first invaded Ukraine, NATO released a statement in support of Ukraine. Plus, they also called on Russia to stop military action in Ukraine as it violates international laws. NATO has also suggested that Russia may face consequences if this goes on further.
On March 23, CNBC reported there are troops of NATO allies in Poland but will not strike since they don’t want anything to escalate.
NATO has also stated they are providing aid to Ukrainians, such as financial and humanitarian aid.
Can Ukraine Join NATO as a Member?
Although Ukraine is a partner under the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, NATO, specifically the US, and several member states are reluctant to make Ukraine a member. President Biden has stated that they want to avoid another Cold War from happening and further hostilities with Russia.
