NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

What’s the origins of NATO?

Cold War and a protection of Western Nations against the USSR and subsequently the Warsaw PAct

What are NATO’s objectives?

Mainly to ensure its members’ security.

Also keeping its members committed to a broadly US ideological template of liberal democratic capitalism.

What’s Article 5?

It states that an attack on one NATO country is an attack on all members. If this is triggered, there will be a collective response of all NATO members.

What may NATO expansion be an example of?

The security dilemma, which ultimately increases insecurity for both sides

What are NATO conscious of?

The potentially vulnerable position of the former satellite states in Eastern Europe that border Russia.

How has NATO become increasingly relevant, even after the end of the Cold War?

Since the Russian Annexation of Crimea

Putin has pointed to Nato’s expansion as a threat to Russian security and a deliberate provocation - potentially why Russia invaded Ukraine.

Why has NATO come under scrutiny?

• In 1999, NATO carried out 80 days of air strikes in Kosovo without a UNSC resolution

• US contributes 2/3 of the total NATO budget, meaning theyre heavily dependent on the US.

• Turkey purchased $2.5 billion air defence systems from Russia in 2017, US put sanctions on their own NATO ally as a result.