🌐 NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization

🌐 NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NATO is a military alliance formed in 1949 to provide collective security against aggression.
It is based on the principle of collective defense: an attack against one member is considered an attack against all (Article 5 of the NATO Treaty).

Created during the Cold War to counter the Soviet Union’s threat.
After the Cold War, NATO shifted focus to crisis management, peacekeeping, and counter-terrorism.
It now also focuses on emerging threats such as cybersecurity, hybrid warfare, and strategic competition with Russia and China.

Region	Member Countries
North America	United States, Canada
Europe	Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden , Turkey, United Kingdom

*Finland and Sweden joined NATO recently (2023-2024), expanding the alliance's reach in Northern Europe.

Collective defense: Deterrence against military threats.
Crisis management: Peacekeeping, conflict prevention (e.g., Kosovo, Afghanistan missions).
Cooperative security: Partnerships with non-member countries.
Cyber defense: Protecting member countries from cyber attacks.
Innovation: Integrating AI, emerging tech into defense.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict: NATO supports Ukraine with non-combat aid, defense training, and sanctions coordination but is not directly involved militarily.
Defense Spending: Members aim to meet the target of 2% of GDP on defense; some lag, while others increase budgets.
Expansion: Continued dialogue on potential new members, with a focus on the Western Balkans.
China: Seen as a strategic challenge due to its growing military and cyber capabilities.
Hybrid Warfare: NATO invests in resilience against misinformation, cyberattacks, and covert operations.

General Knowledge