In the decades since, it has steadily expanded its orbit, bringing a swathe of central and eastern European states into its ranks after the USSR collapsed. The alliance was initially part of an effort by the US and its European allies to deter any expansion of the then-Soviet Union (USSR) and reduce the possibility of conflict on the continent by encouraging greater political integration between its powers. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was founded in 1949, in the aftermath of World War II. They have argued the Kremlin cannot be allowed an effective veto on Kyiv’s foreign policy decisions and defended NATO’s “open door policy”, which grants any European nation the right to ask to join.Īmid the deadlock, here are five things you need to know about NATO: 1.

It has also called for NATO to cease all military activity in Eastern Europe, blaming it for undermining security in the region.īut Western leaders have rejected those demands.

Moscow wants guarantees that its neighbour, a former Soviet state, will be permanently barred from joining the United States-led alliance. The future of NATO, the transatlantic security alliance, is at the centre of the standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine.

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