Following President Vladimir Putin‘s statement, Russia started a full-scale war on Ukraine early on Thursday. On state television, he announced the attack, saying it was to protect separatists in the east from “genocide.”
Putin has long emphasized his ambition to reintegrate Ukraine into Russia. In a televised address a few years ago, he referred to it as Russia’s “crown jewel,” and penned an article claiming that the people of the two countries are one.
After weeks of negotiations failed to yield any results, the order to invade Ukraine was issued. Ukraine’s developing ties with the West, particularly NATO, was the one thing that pushed Putin over the edge.
What is NATO?
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a military alliance, was founded in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and a number of Western countries to provide collective protection to its members. Following WWII, the organization was formed to limit the Soviet Union’s area of influence (which later disintegrated).
NATO was the United States’ first peacetime military alliance outside the Western Hemisphere. NATO’s 12 original members were the United States, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. The military organization currently has 30 members. In 2020, North Macedonia will become the newest member of NATO.
What is NATO’s view on war and peace from a political and military point of view?
NATO promotes democratic values by allowing members to communicate and collaborate on defence and security issues in order to solve problems, establish confidence, and, in the long term, avoid conflict. NATO is dedicated to peaceful conflict resolution.
It has the military power to conduct crisis-management operations if diplomatic attempts fail. These are done in collaboration with other nations and international organizations.
Is Ukraine a NATO member?
Most of us are now unsure if Ukraine is a NATO member or not. Ukraine is technically not a NATO member. In 2002, Ukraine’s former president, Leonid Kuchma, indicated an interest in joining NATO. The main goal was to strengthen the military’s support.
As a result of membership, Ukraine would also become closer to Europe and have a better relationship with the US. Any European country that can contribute to the North Atlantic region’s security is welcome to join NATO.
What exactly is Russia’s problem with NATO?
Joining NATO would greatly strengthen Ukraine’s defensive capabilities. Therefore, Russia wants assurances that its neighbour will never be permitted to join. Furthermore, Russia opposes NATO and western countries’ expanding influence in the region. Putin alleges NATO violated a non-expansion pact, but NATO dismisses his assertions.
What are some of Russia’s other concerns?
The Kremlin claims that NATO is being used by the West to expand on Russia and wants NATO to stop its military activities in Eastern Europe. Russian President Vladimir Putin argues that the United States violated a 1990 security agreement that said that NATO would not expand eastward.
NATO, on the other hand, has refuted these assertions, claiming that it is a defensive alliance. Several eastern European countries, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, and Bulgaria, have joined the alliance in the last two decades.
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