On April 4, 2024, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) celebrated a major anniversary: 75 years of existence. This explainer dives into NATO’s past, exploring the reasons behind its formation and how it has transformed over the decades. We’ll also look at the current challenges facing the alliance, including recent membership growth and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
75th Anniversary of NATO’s Formation
Historical Significance: Seventy-five years ago, on 4 April 1949, NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, came into being.
NATO’s Growing Membership
- Expanding Alliance: NATO currently boasts 32 member-states, its largest number ever.
- Challenges Faced: However, NATO faces significant challenges, notably evidenced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and ongoing conflicts.
- Sweden’s Decision: Following Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, Sweden abandoned its non-alignment policy, seeking security within NATO.
- Ukraine’s Application: In September 2022, Ukraine formally applied for NATO membership, receiving reassurances at the Vilnius Summit in July 2023.
Expansion and Transformation of NATO
- Sweden’s Journey: After significant deliberation, Sweden’s bid to join NATO was approved in July 2023, following amendments to its laws and constitution.
- Finland’s Membership: Finland, sharing a border with Russia, also applied for NATO membership after the invasion of Ukraine. In June 2022, both Finland and Sweden were invited to join NATO.
- Finland became NATO’s 31st member on 4 April 2023, after ratification by all 30 member states.
Sweden’s Path to NATO Membership
- Long Journey: Sweden’s pursuit of NATO membership has been lengthy and challenging.
- Approval by Türkiye: In July 2023, Türkiye, which had previously blocked Sweden’s application, finally approved its bid to join NATO.
- Conditions Met: Sweden fulfilled the conditions set out by Türkiye, including recognizing rebel groups as terrorist organizations.
- NATO’s Announcement: On 10 July, NATO announced Sweden’s approval, citing amendments to its constitution, changes in laws, enhanced counter-terrorism cooperation against the PKK, and the resumption of arms exports to Türkiye, in alignment with agreements reached in the Trilateral Memorandum of 2022.
Establishment and Purpose of NATO
- Founding and Membership: NATO, a Western security alliance, was established on April 4, 1949, with 12 founding members including Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
- Collective Security: At its core, NATO operates on the principle of “collective security,” where an attack on any member is considered an attack on all, necessitating collective action. This principle was vital during the Cold War era, amid the rivalry between the USSR and the US.
- Purpose and Article 5: Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, added to counter the Soviet Union’s expansionist ambitions, solidified the commitment to collective security. However, it doesn’t mandate direct military intervention by all members, leaving the scale of action to individual countries.
- Historical Application: The only instance where Article 5 was invoked occurred after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US. NATO forces were deployed to Afghanistan, marking a significant chapter in the alliance’s history with nearly two decades of involvement in the region.
- Who are NATO’s members today?: Apart from the original 12, members include Greece and Turkey (1952); West Germany (1955; later as Germany); Spain (1982); the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland (1999); Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia (2004); Albania and Croatia (2009); Montenegro (2017); North Macedonia (2020); Finland (2023); and Sweden (2024).
NATO’s Survival After the Cold War
- New Entrants and Obsolescence: In 1999, a wave of new members joined NATO, which had originally formed after the Soviet Union broke up in 1991. People worried then that NATO might not be needed anymore since its original reason for existing had disappeared.
- Reasons for NATO’s Survival: John S Duffield, a US political science professor, studied NATO’s role after the Cold War. He found three main reasons why NATO continued to exist.
- Securing Members Against Threats: Duffield said NATO still protects its members from dangers outside their borders, not just from Russia but also from emerging powers like China.
- Adaptation and Conflict Control: NATO can change and adapt to new situations. It has helped keep peace in Central and Eastern Europe by promoting stability in countries that were once part of the Soviet Union.
- Intra-Alliance Functions: Critics of NATO forgot how it helps keep peace among its own members. NATO has played a crucial role in stabilizing Western Europe, which used to have a history of conflict between its states.
Challenges for NATO Today
- Unequal Military Spending: During NATO’s 70th anniversary in 2019, President Trump criticized members for not meeting the 2% GDP spending on defense. Only 11 out of 30 member countries met this target by 2023.
- Russian Aggression and Security Concerns: Russia’s actions in Crimea and Ukraine heightened security concerns among NATO members. Even traditionally neutral countries like Finland and Sweden expressed interest in joining NATO for protection against Russian aggression.
- Membership Disputes: Turkey’s objections delayed the entry of Sweden and Finland into NATO due to past disagreements over human rights. Turkey also accused these countries of harboring terrorists.
- Lack of Strategic Coordination: Disagreements among members led to intra-block tensions, highlighted by French President Macron in 2019.
- Financial Strains and Disagreements: Funding disputes emerged, especially regarding NATO operations related to the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Secretary-General Stoltenberg proposed measures to ensure all NATO countries meet the 2% spending target by the end of 2024 and suggested a $107 billion fund for Ukraine.
- Uncertainty Under Changing Leadership: President Trump’s reelection campaign raised concerns about the future of NATO. His stance suggested the US might reconsider protecting countries failing to meet spending targets, adding uncertainty to the alliance’s future.