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NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), . Also called the North Atlantic Alliance. (OTAN).}} is an intergovernmental military alliance between 32 member states—30 in Europe and two in North America. Founded in the aftermath of World War II, NATO was established with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949. The organization serves as a system of collective security, whereby its independent member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any outside party. This is enshrined in Article 5 of the treaty, which states that an armed attack against one member shall be considered an attack against them all.

Throughout the Cold War, NATO's primary purpose was to deter and counter the threat posed by the Soviet Union and its satellite states, which formed the rival Warsaw Pact. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the alliance adapted. NATO undertook its first military intervention in the Bosnian War (1992–1995); with a United Nations mandate, it enforced a no-fly zone and defended UN safe zones. NATO also intervened in the Kosovo War (1999), bombing Yugoslav forces to prevent ethnic cleansing. Article 5 was invoked for the only time, by the US, after the September 11 attacks, leading to NATO involvement in Afghanistan (2001–2014) as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). In 2011, NATO intervened in the Libyan civil war, with a UN mandate to enforce a no-fly zone and protect civilians. The alliance has since been involved in training Iraq's military and countering piracy.

Since the end of the Cold War, the alliance has accepted sixteen new members, incorporating former Warsaw Pact countries and post-Soviet states. NATO recognizes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine and Georgia as aspiring members. Russia–NATO relations had been co-operative, but became adversarial during Vladimir Putin's second presidency. Putin called NATO's eastward enlargement a threat, and opposes Ukraine joining the alliance. Following the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, NATO suspended co-operation and deployed a tripwire force in the east. The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine prompted NATO to reinforce its eastern flank and send military aid to Ukraine. The invasion caused Finland and Sweden to join the alliance. Since the invasion, Russia has been accused of waging a hybrid conflict against NATO. Since 2025, there has been internal crisis in NATO due to threats made by the United States, a major contributing member, against the sovereignty of fellow members Canada and Denmark.

NATO's main headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium, while its military headquarters are near Mons, Belgium. The combined militaries of all NATO members include approximately 3.5 million soldiers and personnel. Their combined military spending constitutes over half of the global total. Members have committed to a target of spending at least 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence to ensure the alliance's continued military readiness. Provided by Wikipedia