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Foreign Policy Institute – Ankara
Author – Peder Sjöman
European security and NATO enlargement – Report
On the fourth of April, 1949, NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance was founded by Canada, USA, France, Portugal, Italy, Great Britain, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Luxemburg, Netherland and Iceland (Dw). Over the years, the military alliance has witnessed an expansion of its membership, with an increasing number of countries joining its ranks, with today a total of 31 members (Nato, how many members are there). It was due to the geopolitical situation after World War II that NATO was created. As the Soviet Union and the Western world had increased tension, the need was felt to create a security alliance, to combat any threats (Nato, What was the Warsaw pact). According to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, an attack on one member is to be considered an attack on all members, and they undertake to defend each other if necessary. This leads to NATO’s main purpose being to maintain a collective defence, as well as to promote mutual security among its member states.
The Warsaw Pact, a military alliance consisting of the communist countries of the Eastern Bloc, was a strong opponent of NATO during the Cold War. This pact was created in 1955, which in practice was controlled from Moscow. An aggression from the east was NATO’s main task to prevent. With the end of the Cold War, NATO decided to reconsider its role, a new era which meant to look out for other security threats, crisis management and peacekeeping operations. Since the end of the war, they have welcomed new member states from the Balkans and Eastern Europe, which has helped to strengthen the security and stabilized their territories, NATO has played a pivotal role in facilitating and endorsing democratic reforms. Adapted to a different type of security environment, participated in international efforts to promote stability and peace in the world (Nato, what was the Warsaw pact). For example to promote stability and peace in Kosovo during 1999 and Bosnia and Herzegovina during the 1990s (Nato, peace support operations in Bosnia).
Together with NATO, several advantages are offered in addition to providing its members with a security guarantee, as well as promoting democratic reforms in the new member states (SvD). Through the various member states, assignments and resources are divided, via competence and skill, which enables cost-effective defense measures. The diplomatic conversation increases understanding and dialogue between the countries, which has ultimately increased general cooperation and stability in Europe and North America. In addition to dialogue and conversation, information exchanges and military exercises also take place. This helps the member states as they can cooperate, but also understand each other’s security challenges and gain new perspectives on different security risks, and together to cooperate on new security challenges.
The consequences during the end of the Cold War was that NATO had expanded eastwards, this has been noticed and above all contributed to tensions and worse relations with Russia. As this can be seen as provocative with Russia’s neighboring countries, relations have become increasingly worse, after the war in Georgia in 2008, the conflict in Ukraine in 2014 as well as the continued disputes at the Baltic Sea and then not least with the latest invasion of Ukraine in 2022, where Putin’s Russia threatened Ukraine to join to the defense alliance NATO (UI, Nato-Ryssland). The suggested move by Putin likely reflects a strategic concern, whereby the inclusion of Ukraine as a NATO member could provoke a unified response from the entire NATO alliance as Article 5 represents (Europarl). NATO activated Article 5 for the first time on September 11, 2001, and in doing so, supported the United States in the fight against terrorism (Nato, Nato and Afghanistan). NATO has participated in and carried out military operations in, for example, Afghanistan and in Libya in 2011, where the goal was to depose the incumbent leader, Muammar al-Gaddafi. Military efforts such as these have received criticism from within as countries have not agreed on the decisions taken have been the most effective and instead believe that, for example, the ousting of Gaddafi only leads to unrest and more uncertainty and stability in the country (UI, varldspolitiken). Words from the Italian foreign minister, Antonio Tajani “The situation in Africa is extremely complex: intervention was necessary years ago, and in my opinion, it was a mistake to eliminate Gaddafi, which led to significant instability throughout the region.” (Libya review). For example, like the dispute in Libya within NATO, member states do not always agree on priorities or strategies. Just like various different collaborations, it weakens the alliance’s effectiveness as inevitable problems arise that must be addressed.
With the addition to NATO, Finland’s membership was the latest to be approved by the remaining members, which was the fourth of April 2023 (Um.Fi). In order for Sweden to become a member, Turkey and Hungary must approve Sweden as full members of the defense alliance. Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has now submitted Sweden’s NATO application to the country’s parliament. The final step in this process involves a parliamentary vote, followed by the ultimate approval through the president’s signature, for Turkey to formally accept Sweden’s membership and make a total of 32 members (Reuters).
To summarize this report, NATO’s expansion has affected NATO positively, but on the other hand negatively. As it has increased security and stability in most of the various regions, but it has created tensions and a worse relationship with Russia. Regarding international relations, European security has been mentioned time and time again in the media, and by various leaders, as the “worst crisis since the Second World War”, particularly in countries around the Baltic Sea that are geographically close to Russia. With Finnish membership in NATO, it is yet another country around Russia that has become a member, which may expand in the near future, as it is Sweden that is next in line to become a full NATO member to ensure their safety.
Reference list:
DW News. “What Is NATO and Why Was It Created?” {online} Published on June 12, 2023.
European Parliament. “Security and Defense: Issues and Trends.” {online} Published in 2022.
Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. “Finland’s NATO Membership.” {online} Updated on April 4 2023.
Libya Review. “Italian FM: Overthrowing Gaddafi a Mistake.” {online} Published on September 19 2023.
NATO. “How Many NATO Member States Are There?”{online}
NATO. “NATO Declassified: The Treaty of Brussels.” {online}
NATO. “NATO’s Topics.” {online}
NATO. “NATO’s Topics.” {online}
Reuters. “Turkey’s Erdogan Submits Sweden’s NATO Bid to Parliament for Ratification.” {online} Published 23 October 2023.
Svenska Dagbladet. “No Security Guarantee Without NATO Membership.” {online} Published on July 10 2023.
UI.se. “Is It Possible to Save Libya?” {online} Published in 2021.
UI.se. “NATO and Russia.” {online} Published on Mars 4 2023.
U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian. {online} “The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).”