“On 4 April 1949, the Foreign Ministers from 12 countries signed the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) at the Departmental Auditorium in Washington, DC.

NATO‘s founding member countries were: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Within the five months following the signing ceremony, the Treaty was ratified by the parliaments of all 12 countries, sealing their membership.” (nato.int)

“It is often said that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was founded in response to the threat posed by the Soviet Union. This is only partially true. In fact, the Alliance’s creation was part of a broader effort to serve three purposes:

• Deterring Soviet expansionism
• Forbidding the revival of nationalist militarism in Europe
• And encouraging European political integration.

The aftermath of World War II saw much of Europe devastated in a way that is now difficult to envision. Approximately 36.5 million Europeans had died in the conflict, 19 million of them civilians. Refugee camps and rationing dominated daily life. In some areas, infant mortality rates were one in four. Millions of orphans wandered the burnt-out shells of former metropolises. In the German city of Hamburg alone, half a million people were homeless.

In addition, Communists aided by the Soviet Union were threatening elected governments across Europe. In February 1948, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, with covert backing from the Soviet Union, overthrew the democratically elected government in that country. Then, in reaction to the democratic consolidation of West Germany, the Soviets blockaded Allied-controlled West Berlin in a bid to consolidate their hold on the German capital. The heroism of the Berlin Airlift provided future Allies with some solace, but privation remained a grave threat to freedom and stability.

The fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989 seemed to proclaim a new era of open markets, democracy and peace, and Allies reacted with incredulous joy as emboldened demonstrators overthrew Eastern European Communist governments.

But there were also frightening uncertainties.

Would a united Germany be neutral?

What would become of nuclear weapons in former Soviet republics?

Would nationalism once again curse European politics?

For NATO, the question was existential: was there any further need for the Atlantic Alliance?” (nato.int)

“The position of Secretary General was not established until several years after the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty – and after the nomination of a military commander. With the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, military affairs were of primary concern and the Supreme Commander Allied Forces Europe (SACEUR) was nominated in December 1950. The post of Secretary General was created in February 1952 and Ismay was appointed a month later.

Lord Hastings Lionel Ismay was NATO’s first Secretary General, a position he was initially reluctant to accept. By the end of his tenure however, Ismay had become the biggest advocate of the organisation he had famously said earlier on in his political career, was created to ‘KEEP THE SOVIET UNION OUT, THE AMERICANS IN, AND THE GERMANS DOWN’.” (nato.int)

“NATO’s essential and enduring purpose is to safeguard the freedom and security of all its members. It does this through political and military means, ensuring the collective defence of all Allies, against all threats, from all directions.

NATO strives to secure a lasting peace in Europe and North America, based on its member countries’ common values of individual liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. These shared values unite a diverse group of Allies on both sides of the Atlantic. NATO embodies the transatlantic bond between them, whereby the security of Allies in Europe and North America is inextricably linked.

The principle of collective defence – meaning that an attack against one Ally is considered as an attack against all Allies – is at the heart of NATO. This means that no single member country is forced to rely solely on its national capabilities to meet its essential national security objectives. The resulting sense of shared security among NATO members contributes to stability in the Euro-Atlantic area and creates a spirit of solidarity and cohesion within the Alliance.” (nato.int)

“NATO Allies face threats and challenges from both state and non-state actors who use hybrid activities to target political institutions, influence public opinion and undermine the security of NATO citizens. Hybrid methods of warfare – such as propaganda, deception, sabotage and other non-military tactics – have long been used to destabilise adversaries. What is new about attacks seen in recent years is their speed, scale and intensity, facilitated by rapid technological change and global interconnectivity. NATO has a strategy for its role in countering hybrid warfare and stands ready to defend the Alliance and all Allies against any threat, whether conventional or hybrid.

Hybrid methods are used to blur the lines between war and peace, and attempt to sow doubt in the minds of target populations. They aim to destabilise and undermine societies.” (nato.int)

“Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous systems and quantum technologies are changing the world and the way NATO operates. These and other emerging and disruptive technologies (EDTs) present both risks and opportunities for NATO and Allies. That’s why the Alliance is working with public and private sector partners, academia and civil society to develop and adopt new technologies, establish international principles of responsible use, and maintain NATO’s technological edge through innovation.” (nato.int)

“On 4 April 1949, the Foreign Ministers from 12 countries signed the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) at the Departmental Auditorium in Washington, D.C.

1949 – The 12 founding members
1952 – The accession of Greece and Türkiye
1955 – The accession of Germany
1982 – The accession of Spain
1999 – The first wave of post-Cold War enlargement
2004 – The second wave of post-Cold War enlargement
2009 – The accession of Albania and Croatia
2017 – The accession of Montenegro
2020 – The accession of North Macedonia
2023 – The accession of Finland
2024 – The accession of Sweden

Which Countries Spend Most On Defence?

According to Nato estimates for 2024, made in June 2024, Poland was expected to be the top spender for the second year running, allocating 4.1% of GDP (the total value of goods and services produced).

Estonia was in second place at 3.4% with the US in third place at 3.4%, which is about the same level as it has been spending for the last decade.

The UK came ninth on the list with 2.3%. The government has committed to increasing that to 2.5% but has not said when this will happen.

The average for Nato members in Europe and Canada is estimated at 2.0%.

Nato is expected to publish fresh estimates in March 2025 of how much members spent on defence in 2024.

The US is a global superpower, with military commitments around the world, not just to Nato. It had GDP equal to all the rest of the members of Nato in 2024, and its spending on defence is two thirds of the Nato total.” (bbc.co.uk)

“The US has more than 100,000 troops deployed across Europe. Some US personnel based in Europe support non-Nato operations and US military numbers fluctuate as forces are rotated in and out of Europe.

Germany currently hosts by far the largest number of US forces in Europe, followed by Italy and the UK.

However, the biggest single overseas deployment of US personnel is not in a Nato member state at all. It is in Japan, where the US maintains more than 50,000 troops.” (bbc.co.uk)

“European leaders have been left stunned by the open rapprochement between US President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin - AND NOT-SO-SUBTLE HINTS THAT THE US MAY ABANDON ITS OBLIGATION TO DEFEND EUROPEAN ALLIES. After World War Two, West European countries joined the US and Canada to set up Nato (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) to counter the then-Soviet Union. The alliance’s famous Article 5 holds that Nato members will come to the defence of an ally which comes under attack.

The US has long been the anchoring power, but now questions are being asked openly about Nato’s future - most recently by the man set to become Germany’s chancellor. Friedrich Merz said his aim would be TO ACHIEVE INDEPENDENCE FROM THE US IN TERMS OF SECURITY.

‘The events of the past week have shown that Trump has undermined Nato, undermined its secretary general and undermined the Article 5 of collective defence,’ said Armida van Rij, head of the European programme at the UK-based Chatham House think tank.

‘The idea behind it was this all for one and one for all belief – and THAT’S BEEN BROKEN.’” (bbc.co.uk)

“Ever since its foundation in 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has had a straightforward strategy to maintain peace in Europe: ‘keep the Soviet Union out, the United States in, and the Germans down’. For the past 70 years, this strategy has been incredibly successful, preventing interstate wars between its member nations, forcing the United States to maintain a large military presence in Europe, and keeping the Soviet Union isolated, eventually leading to their total collapse.

However, in recent years, NATO has been suffering from a crisis of purpose, and many of its members are no longer convinced of the value of being in the alliance. While the most inflammatory example of this has been President Donald Trump’s position that NATO has become ‘obsolete’, the truth is that the organization is facing serious structural problems that are inhibiting its ability to ensure European security.

It is therefore no wonder that many are increasingly questioning the purpose of the alliance to their respective nations, and it is a question that must be addressed seriously if NATO wants to survive.” (harvard.edu)

“Volodymyr Zelensky will meet with Keir Starmer today following a brutal bust-up with Donald Trump as he continues to insist he will not apologise to the American President… Experts have warned that without drastic action the surreal scene in the Oval Office could SPELL THE END OF NATO and Trump could halt military aid to Ukraine as early as today.

BBC Political Editor Chris Mason said: ‘Having met and got on with President Trump on Thursday, Sir Keir is attempting to act as a bridge between Washington and Kyiv and Washington and Europe. BUT THE WESTERN ALLIANCE IS FRACTURING BEFORE OUR EYES.’

This morning former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned that the Nato Alliance could be at risk of losing the US if it does not feel Europe is ‘pulling its weight’.

Mr Hunt told the Today programme: ‘From Europe’s point of view there is an even bigger priority than the future of Ukraine, which is THE FUTURE OF NATO. And there is a simple message from what happened yesterday and that is that we can’t take that for granted.’” (dailymail.co.uk)

“Nato could be in its final days, a former Supreme Allied Commander has warned, as America’s commitment to the transatlantic alliance wavers. Admiral James Stavridis, an American who served as Nato’s Europe commander from 2009-2013, said we could be witnessing the ‘last days’ of the alliance and the start of a new ‘European Treaty Organisation’.

Donald Trump’s insistence on European leaders increasing their defence budgets, combined with his falling out with Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, has sparked concern among members of the alliance.

‘We could be looking at the last days of Nato,’ Admiral Stavridis told CNN. ‘This is a gut issue about who are you going to support? A democracy that’s under attack, or are you going to support a dictator in Moscow? This is going to drive a wedge deep into the heart of the alliance and it’s going to bleed over beyond Ukraine – AS TO WHETHER THE UNITED STATES CAN BE TRUSTED AS A PARTNER.’

‘We could see the end of Nato and the start of what might be called the European Treaty Organisation, ETO. Donald Trump has made it clear he wants no part of helping Ukraine going forwards,’ he said. ‘It’s a geopolitical mistake of epic proportion. Now the lights go on in Europe, they’re going to have to step up and take this on.’

‘If I’m a European, at this point I’m saying, I need bigger defence spending, I need my European defence companies to step up, I need to build a European armed forces, I need a command structure outside Nato.’

Emmanuel Macron, the French president, has said he is ready to ‘open the discussion’ on a possible future European nuclear deterrent, following a request from Friedrich Merz, Germany’s next leader. Meanwhile, Mr Merz has stressed the need for the continent to move quickly to ‘achieve independence’ from the United States on defence matters.” (telegraph.co.uk)

Germany’s next leader, Mr Merz, “…has stressed the need for the continent to move quickly to ‘achieve independence’ from the United States on defence matters.” (telegraph.co.uk)

“Last year, the USA contributed 68 percent, which worked out to be 3.49 percent of America’s total GDP for $860 billion of the $1.26 trillion NATO spent.” (newsweek.com)