Hundreds of thousands of Moscow troops were deployed near the Ukrainian
border and sparked fears of an invasion. However, the real crux of the
matter is Russian President Vladimir Putin's concern about NATO's expansion
into Eastern Europe.
NATO or North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a security alliance
established in 1949 to protect Europe from Soviet attacks during the Cold
War. The current leader of the alliance is the United States (US).
Of the 14 countries bordering Russia, five have joined or become members of
NATO. Citing Bloomberg, Friday (1/28/2022), Ukraine is among the countries
that also hope to join the alliance. But it's not as fast or easy as it
sounds.
Ukraine officially asks to join NATO?
Yes. Ukraine signed up to join in 2008. It was just before a summit in
Bucharest, when NATO said that Ukraine and Georgia would join the alliance,
but without setting a specific date.
Georgia has also signed up for admission. So is Bosnia-Herzegovina, although
there are too many domestic divisions there to make this a realistic
prospect any time soon.
How many NATO Member States?
Its membership has grown from 12 to 30 countries, with North Macedonia the
most recently joining, in 2020.
The increase reflects the fact that, since the end of the Cold War, NATO has
represented a fundamental partnership between North America and Europe based
on shared political and economic values.
What is Required to Join?
NATO countries must be unanimous in welcoming new members. Approval is a
political decision, although NATO lays out the criteria new recruits must
meet. These include a functioning democracy based on a market economy, fair
treatment of minority populations and a commitment to resolving conflicts
peacefully.
The applicant must have the ability and willingness to make a military
contribution to NATO operations.
NATO has also made it clear that having "unresolved external territorial
disputes" is a consideration for disapproval, a consideration that gives
Vladimir Putin an edge, as Russian troops occupy internationally recognized
parts of Georgia (Abkhazia and South Ossetia) and Ukraine (Crimea).
What is the Status of Ukraine's Request?
Officially, NATO backed its 2008 pledge to recognize Georgia and Ukraine
once they meet the criteria, with no consensus on when that would be
possible. Several NATO members, including Poland and the Baltic states;
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, will register Ukraine tomorrow if they can.
But Germany and France in particular insisted that as long as Russian troops
were in Ukraine, membership would not occur. For now, Ukraine is one of
NATO's “enhanced partners of opportunity”, a status given to non-member
states that have made significant contributions to NATO-led operations and
missions.
NATO says it aims to maintain and deepen cooperation with such partners.
Other countries with this status are Australia, Finland, Georgia, Jordan,
and Sweden.
Does Putin Care?
Putin and his government see NATO growing into what they see as a sphere of
influence that dwindled after the Cold War, and which Putin seeks to
restore. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, three former Soviet states, are now
members of NATO.
Citing its own security, Russia insisted that NATO should not allow other
ex-Soviet countries, such as Ukraine and Georgia, to join.
Russia has also rejected NATO's claim that it is a defense alliance,
accusing the bloc of trying to contain Moscow and sowing instability by
intervening in places like the Middle East and the Balkans.
Russia denies planning to attack Ukraine but insists that the US and its
allies must force Ukraine's leaders to implement the terms of the 2015 peace
deal.
What is NATO Saying?
Two weeks after declaring that Russia had “no veto power” over whether
Ukraine could join, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on January 27
delivered a more detailed response to Russia's demands.
He said NATO was ready to "listen to Russia's concerns" and discuss "how to
uphold and strengthen the basic principles of European security to which we
all have signed".
But he also stressed, "it's about respecting the nation and their right to
choose their own path".
Two non-NATO partners, Finland and Sweden, have urged the bloc not to give
in to Russia's demands.
What is the point of NATO?
NATO says its "open door policy" on expansion has helped promote stability
and prosperity in Europe.
Its role since the collapse of the Soviet Union has expanded to include the
bombing of Serbian forces during the Bosnia and Kosovo wars of the 1990s,
imposing an arms embargo on Libya in 2011, helping Europe deal with the
influx of Middle Eastern refugees that began in 2015, enhancing cyber
defenses, and since 2014 , deploying multinational combat groups in eastern
Europe in response to Russia's encroachment on Ukraine.
NATO is also trying to define its role in addressing China's expanding
influence. The 2019 summit expanded NATO's authority to make outer space an
"operational domain" along with air, land, sea and cyberspace.
