2023-07-14 11:12:30
image caption,
Handshake between Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO and the President of Ukraine, Volodomyr Zelensky
2 hours ago
NATO, the West’s defensive alliance, confirmed that Ukraine might join, but did not specify when.
Speaking at the NATO summit in Lithuania, Ukrainian President Zelensky said the lack of clarity was “unprecedented and absurd”.
What are the NATO countries?
NATO – the North Atlantic Treaty Organization – was created in 1949 by 12 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and France.
The organization has two official languages, English and French. In French, the alliance is known as Otan, Organization du Traité de l’Atlantique Nord.
It currently has 31 members in Europe and North America.
They agree to help each other if attacked.
NATO’s original goal was to block Soviet expansion in Europe following World War II.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, many Eastern European countries joined the alliance: Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania , Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Will Ukraine join NATO?
NATO said in 2008 that Ukraine might join at a later date, but declined its September 2022 request for “fast track” membership.
Under Article 5 of the NATO charter, if one member is attacked, the others must defend it.
If Ukraine were to join the current conflict with Russia, all NATO member countries would also have to declare war on Russia.
This is why NATO countries have not deployed troops to Ukraine, nor used their air forces to impose a no-fly zone in the region.
At the Vilnius summit, NATO said it would invite Ukraine to become a member “when the allies agree and the conditions are met”.
He also said that Ukraine might skip a step in the accession process that other countries have to follow, called the Accession Action Plan.
However, NATO has not set a timetable for Ukraine’s membership.
Ukrainian President Zelensky said he wanted his country to join as soon as possible following the end of its war with Russia: “NATO will ensure Ukraine’s security. Ukraine will make the alliance stronger. »
Russia has always and firmly opposed the idea of Ukraine joining NATO, fearing that it would bring the alliance’s forces too close to its own territory.
What other countries are joining NATO?
Sweden applied to join NATO in April 2022, along with Finland.
Finland has a 1,340 km (832 mile) land border with Russia. Both countries were concerned regarding increasing Russian aggression following the Ukrainian invasion.
Finland joined NATO in April 2023, but for many months Turkey and Hungary refused to endorse Sweden’s candidacy.
Turkey has accused her of hosting enemies, including pro-Kurdish groups.
However, ahead of the latest summit, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Sweden had responded to Turkey’s “legitimate security concerns” and that the Turkish government would ask its parliament to approve the plan. membership.
He said Hungary had promised to do the same.
Together, Sweden and Finland will add more than 280,000 troops to NATO ranks.
However, it is unclear when the Turkish and Hungarian parliaments will vote on Sweden’s membership, or when it might be officially admitted.
What weapons do NATO countries supply to Ukraine?
The United States sends cluster bombs to Ukraine – weapons containing so-called “small bombs” that explode over a wide area.
The bombs are controversial, due to the damage small unexploded bombs might cause to civilians.
The United States is also supplying Ukraine with 31 Abrams tanks. The UK sent 14 Challenger 2 tanks, while Germany and other NATO nations donated dozens of Leopard 2 tanks.
The United States and the United Kingdom supplied missiles such as Himars, which were used to strike targets behind Russian front lines.
image copyrightGetty Images
image caption,
A Himars launcher under forest cover in eastern Ukraine
NATO countries are also providing air defense systems to shoot down Russian cruise missiles and drones over Ukraine.
The United States has said it will support the delivery of American fighter jets, such as F-16s, to Ukraine by NATO allies. NATO countries teach Ukrainian pilots how to fly them.
However, the United States does not provide its longer-range missiles, called Advanced Tactical Missile Systems. He believes these might be used to attack targets inside Russia – which might cause direct conflict between Russia and the West.
For the same reason, NATO countries do not send troops to Ukraine, nor use their air forces to impose a no-fly zone.
What is NATO’s defense plan once morest Russia?
NATO commanders have agreed on a new plan to counter Russian expansion.
It specifies how forces should be deployed if Russia attacks in one of three areas: the Arctic and the North Atlantic; central Europe; or the Mediterranean region.
NATO currently has 40,000 soldiers who can be mobilized at short notice. It is proposed to have 300,000 soldiers ready to intervene within 30 days.
NATO also wants member countries to modernize their military equipment, stockpile more ammunition and spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense spending.
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