What is Nato as Sweden and Finland consider joining amid Ukraine war? & More News Here

The northern European international locations are contemplating whether or not to use for Nato membership amid the battle.

Despite historically being impartial, help for joining Nato has risen sharply in each Finland and Sweden in current months, since Russia invaded Ukraine.

A spokesperson for the prime minister mentioned: “It is about not just Ukraine but the security of Europe more broadly.

“We understand the positions of Sweden and Finland and that is why the Prime Minister is going to discuss these broader security issues.”

But what is Nato and which international locations are already members?

What is Nato?

Nato — the North Atlantic Treaty Organization — is a political and army alliance fashioned of 30 principally European international locations, as properly as the US and Canada. Russia and Ukraine should not members.

The coronary heart of the Nato alliance is Article 5, an settlement that an armed assault on one member might be considered as an assault on all, and that they’re obliged to defend each other.

Nato was fashioned of 12 international locations in 1949, with the goal of countering the specter of post-war communist Russian growth in Europe.

In 1955, Soviet Russia responded to the formation of Nato by creating its personal army alliance of jap European communist international locations, known as the Warsaw Pact.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, various former Warsaw Pact international locations switched sides and turned Nato members.

Nato doesn’t have its personal armed forces. Instead it has a army command construction that works with the militaries of member international locations in peacekeeping operations.

Which international locations are members of Nato?

Nato is made up of 28 European nations as properly as the US and Canada.

The founding members had been: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the UK and the US.

Members who’ve joined since, are: Albania (2009), Bulgaria (2004), Croatia (2009), Czech Republic (1999), Estonia (2004), Germany (1955), Greece (1952), Hungary (1999), Latvia (2004), Lithuania (2004), Montenegro (2017), North Macedonia (2020), Poland (1999), Romania (2004), Slovakia (2004) Slovenia (2004), Spain (1982), Turkey (1952).

Why has Nato not intervened in Ukraine?

Nato mentioned it condemned “in the strongest possible terms” Russia’s assault on Ukraine, however it has not despatched any troops to Ukraine.

Ukraine is not a member of Nato, so the alliance is not obliged to defend it. It is a “companion” country, meaning there is an understanding it might join in the future.

Nato countries have also made it clear that if their troops were to confront Russian forces in Ukraine, it could lead to an all-out war between Russia and the West.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said British troops will not fight Russian forces in Ukraine, adding that they will remain “firmly within the borders” of Nato member states.

Will Nato impose a no-fly zone?

Despite Russian strikes hitting residential areas of Ukraine, and a mounting civilian death toll, there is little sign that the West will implement a no-fly zone.

A no-fly zone can be imposed during a war to prevent military aircraft from entering designated airspace. They have been used three times in the recent past — in Iraq after the Gulf War, over Bosnia in the 90s, and over Libya in 2011.

Nato does not want to impose a no-fly zone, as this would mean its forces might have to shoot down Russian aircraft. This could drag all 30 Nato member states, including the UK and US, into a war with Russia.

The extra risk with any escalation in a conflict with Russia is the threat of nuclear weapons. That fear was heightened after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that he had put Russia’s nuclear forces on “special” alert.

On Monday, Jens Stoltenberg, the Nato Secretary General, rejected the concept of a no-fly zone, saying there have been “no intentions of transferring into Ukraine, neither on the bottom or within the airspace”.

What support are Nato nations providing Ukraine?

Some Nato members have been sending weapons to Ukraine to assist it defend itself in opposition to Russia.

Britain has despatched 2,000 short-range anti-tank missiles and has pledged £120 million in humanitarian support. It has mentioned it should ship extra weapons sooner or later.

Last week, the US introduced a $350 million emergency package deal of kit to Ukraine, together with Javelin anti-armour missiles, ammunition, physique armour and different gear. It has allowed different Nato international locations to provide Ukraine with US-made weapons.

Germany is to ship 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 stinger missiles to Ukraine as it fights a Russian invasion.

For the primary time in historical past, the EU might be offering arms to a warzone. It has mentioned it will likely be spending as much as €450 million (£376m) to fund the availability of weapons to Ukraine.

Nato already had troops stationed in Eastern Europe, positioned there in 2014 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea to behave as a “tripwire” in case of a Russian attack.

It is now deploying elements of its 40,000-strong Response Force to eastern European countries bordering Russia and Ukraine. The size of Nato battlegroups in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are set to almost double from 3,400 troops at the start 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 on it ever becoming a member —something the alliance has refused to agree to.

Russia fears Nato has been encroaching on its territory by taking on new members in eastern Europe and that admitting Ukraine would bring Nato forces into its backyard.

Nato denies that this is a valid concern, since it is a peacekeeping alliance.

In December last year, Putin said Russia will seek “reliable and long-term security guarantees” from the US and its allies “that would exclude any further Nato moves eastward and the deployment of weapons systems that threaten us in close vicinity to Russian territory.”

More broadly, Putin wants Nato to pull back 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.

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