What are NATO, like Sweden and Finland, considering joining in the middle of the Ukraine war?
The northern European countries are considering whether to apply for NATO membership in the midst of the conflict.
Despite being traditionally neutral, support for joining NATO has increased sharply in both Finland and Sweden in recent months, since Russia invaded Ukraine.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister said: “It is not just about Ukraine but about security in Europe more generally.
“We understand the positions of Sweden and Finland and that is why the Prime Minister will discuss these broader security issues.”
But what is NATO and which countries are already members?
What is NATO?
NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization – is a political and military alliance formed by 30 mostly European countries, as well as the United States and Canada. Russia and Ukraine are not members.
The heart of the NATO alliance is Article 5, an agreement that an armed attack on a member should be seen as an attack on all, and that they are obliged to defend each other.
NATO was formed by 12 countries in 1949, in order to counter the threat of post-war communist Russian expansion in Europe.
In 1955, Soviet Russia responded to the formation of NATO by creating its own military alliance of Eastern European communist countries, called the Warsaw Pact.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, a number of former Warsaw Pact countries switched sides and became members of NATO.
NATO has no armed forces of its own. Instead, it has a military command structure that cooperates with member states’ military in peacekeeping operations.
Which countries are members of NATO?
NATO consists of 28 European countries as well as the United States and Canada.
The founding members were: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Members who have joined since then are: Albania (2009), Bulgaria (2004), Croatia (2009), Czech Republic (1999), Estonia (2004), Germany (1955), Greece (1952), Hungary (1999), Latvia (2004), Lithuania (2004), Montenegro (2017), Northern Macedonia (2020), Poland (1999), Romania (2004), Slovakia (2004), Slovenia (2004), Spain (1982), Turkey (1952).
Why has NATO not intervened in Ukraine?
NATO said it condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine “in the strongest possible way”, but did not send any troops to Ukraine.
Ukraine is not a member of NATO, so the Alliance is not obliged to defend it. It is a “partner” country, which means that there is an understanding that it can join in the future.
NATO countries have also made it clear that if their troops confront Russian forces in Ukraine, it could lead to a total war between Russia and the West.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that British troops will not fight Russian forces in Ukraine, adding that they will remain “within the borders” of NATO member states.
Will NATO introduce a no-fly zone?
Despite Russian strikes affecting residential areas in Ukraine and a rising death toll for civilians, there are few signs that the West will impose a no-fly zone.
A no-fly zone can be introduced during a war to prevent military aircraft from entering designated airspace. They have been used three times in recent times – in Iraq after the Gulf War, over Bosnia in the 1990s and over Libya in 2011.
NATO does not want to impose a no-fly zone, as that would mean that its forces may have to shoot down Russian aircraft. This could drag all 30 NATO member states, including Britain and the United States, into a war with Russia.
The additional risk of a possible escalation in a conflict with Russia is the threat of nuclear weapons. That fear grew after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that he had put Russia’s nuclear forces on “special” alert.
On Monday, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, rejected the idea of a no-fly zone and said that there were “no intentions to move into Ukraine, either on the ground or in the air”.
What help do NATO nations offer Ukraine?
Some NATO members have sent weapons to Ukraine to help the country defend itself against Russia.
Britain has sent 2,000 short-range anti-tank missiles and has pledged £ 120 million in humanitarian aid. It has said it will send more weapons in the future.
Last week, the United States announced a $ 350 million emergency package of equipment to Ukraine, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, ammunition, body armor and other equipment. It has allowed other NATO countries to supply Ukraine with US-made weapons.
Germany will send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 stinger missiles to Ukraine when fighting a Russian invasion.
For the first time in history, the EU will provide weapons to a war zone. It has said it will spend up to 450 million euros (376 million pounds) to finance the supply of weapons to Ukraine.
NATO already had troops stationed in Eastern Europe, stationed there in 2014 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea to act as a “tripwire” in the event of a Russian attack.
It now distributes parts of its 40,000-strong task force to Eastern European countries bordering Russia and Ukraine. The size of the NATO battle groups in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will almost double from 3,400 at the beginning of the year to more than 6,000 in the near future.
Why does Russia want to block Ukraine from joining NATO?
Russia vehemently opposes Ukraine’s potential membership of NATO and has demanded a formal veto against the country ever becoming a member – something the alliance has refused to agree to.
Russia fears that NATO has invaded its territory by accepting new members in Eastern Europe and that recognition of Ukraine would bring NATO forces into its backyard.
NATO denies that this is a valid concern, as it is a peacekeeping alliance.
In December last year, Putin said Russia would seek “reliable and long-term security guarantees” from the United States and its allies “that would preclude further NATO movements to the east and the deployment of weapons systems that threaten us in the vicinity of Russian territory.”
More generally, Putin wants NATO to withdraw its existing military presence in Eastern Europe, which includes a regularly rotating series of exercises in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, all former Soviet states.
Five NATO countries currently border Russia after Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania became members.