Who is nato countries

This Berlin Crisis brought the United States and the Soviet Union to the brink of conflict, although a massive airlift to resupply the city for the duration of the blockade helped to prevent an outright confrontation. These events caused U. To counter this possible turn of events, the Truman Administration considered the possibility of forming a European-American alliance that would commit the United States to bolstering the security of Western Europe. The Western European countries were willing to consider a collective security solution.

In response to increasing tensions and security concerns, representatives of several countries of Western Europe gathered together to create a military alliance. Their treaty provided collective defense; if any one of these nations was attacked, the others were bound to help defend it. At the same time, the Truman Administration instituted a peacetime draft, increased military spending, and called upon the historically isolationist Republican Congress to consider a military alliance with Europe.

Vandenburg proposed a resolution suggesting that the President seek a security treaty with Western Europe that would adhere to the United Nations charter but exist outside of the Security Council where the Soviet Union held veto power. In spite of general agreement on the concept behind the treaty, it took several months to work out the exact terms.

The U. Congress had embraced the pursuit of the international alliance, but it remained concerned about the wording of the treaty. The nations of Western Europe wanted assurances that the United States would intervene automatically in the event of an attack, but under the U. Constitution the power to declare war rested with Congress. Negotiations worked toward finding language that would reassure the European states but not obligate the United States to act in a way that violated its own laws.

Ukraine became a NATO aspiring member in Russia is not part of NATO. Russia and NATO have held several meetings since , and NATO states that an improvement in their relationship with Russia is dependent on Russia's compliance with international law and their commitments.

NATO Countries. What does NATO stand for? When was NATO formed? NATO's primary purpose was to defend member nations from threats by communist countries. The United States also wanted to maintain a presence in Europe. It sought to prevent a resurgence of aggressive nationalism and to foster political union. It promised to use nuclear weapons if members of the Pact attacked.

NATO's deterrence policy allowed Europe to focus on economic development. It didn't have to build large conventional armies. The Soviet Union continued to build its military presence. By the end of the Cold War, it was spending three times what the United States was spending, with only one-third of the economic power.

When the Berlin Wall fell in , it was due to economic as well as ideological reasons. The collapse of the USSR led to unrest in its former satellite states. NATO got involved when Yugoslavia's civil war became genocide. Violations then led to airstrikes until September , when NATO conducted a nine-day air campaign that ended the war.

NATO participates in three alliances that expand its influence beyond its 30 member countries. It began in NATO itself admits that "Peacekeeping has become at least as difficult as peacemaking.

In the age of globalization, transatlantic peace has become a worldwide effort. It extends beyond military might alone. The Mediterranean Dialogue seeks to stabilize the Middle East. It includes four members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. NATO also cooperates with eight other countries in joint security issues. These include two new military commands and expanded efforts against cyber warfare and counter-terrorism as well as a new plan to deter Russian aggression against Poland and the Baltic States.

President Donald Trump also used the July meeting to request that NATO nations increase their defense spending, and he criticized Germany for asking the United States to protect it from Russia while importing natural gas from that supplier.

These requests were part of his larger argument that NATO has become obsolete. It increased air and sea patrols to shore up its eastern front after Russia attacked Ukraine. France preferred to launch airstrikes on its own. NATO responded to U. It took the lead from August to December