Answers to Go

Q. What exactly is NATO? How does it work and how do countries join? Why is Ukraine not a member?

A. NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Formed in 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is a political and military alliance of 30 countries, 28 of which are in Europe and two (Canada and the United States) in North America. NATO’s primary purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its member nations. It was essentially created to avoid another conflict like World War II, especially as it relates to Russia.

According to the NATO website, the political goals are to promote “democratic values and enable members to consult and cooperate on defense and security-related issues to solve problems, build trust and, in the long run, prevent conflict.”

NATO is “committed to the peaceful resolutions of disputes.” However, if diplomatic efforts fail, it has the military power to “undertake crisis management operations. These are carried out under the collective defense clause of NATO's founding treaty — Article 5 of the Washington Treaty or under a United Nations mandate, alone or in cooperation with other countries and international organizations.” All NATO decisions, including day-to-day business, are made by consensus after discussion between member nations. Article 5 of the Washington Treaty refers to the idea that an attack against one Ally is an attack against all. This is the core of the alliance. So far, the only time Article 5 has been invoked is after the 911 attack on the World Trade Center.

Right now, Ukraine is not a member of NATO. Article 10 of the Atlantic Treaty states that the members of NATO may “invite any other European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area to accede to this Treaty.” The reasons why Ukraine is not a member are long and complicated, however, there are several definite reasons. One objection to their membership has been around for a while — the United States would like Ukraine to improve its political and legal systems. One of the major criteria for membership is that a European nation must demonstrate a commitment to democracy, individual liberty, and support for the rule of law. Ukraine has not yet demonstrated this, according to many member nations. As the New York Times reported, “a 2020 analysis by Transparency International, an anticorruption watchdog, ranked Ukraine 117 out of 180 countries on its corruption index, lower than any NATO nation.” (Wong).

NATO has also been reluctant because it wants to avoid direct conflict with Russia. This is a serious concern for many NATO members because may of the 30 Allies believe that inviting Ukraine to join would NOT contribute to the stability of Europe. Lastly, Ukraine itself has not always wanted to join NATO. “Former President Viktor Yushchenko wanted entry into the alliance, but Ukrainians became more reluctant after Russia invaded Georgia. His successor, Viktor Yanukovych, dropped any drive for membership and promoted closer ties with Russia, even agreeing to allow Moscow to continue leasing a Black Sea naval port in Crimea.” (Wong)

For additional reading on this topic and other military topics, here a few books found at the library:

• “Military History: The Definitive Visual Guide to the Objects of Warfare,” published by the Smithsonian Institution

• “The Oxford Companion to American Military History,” edited by John Whiteclay Chambers

• “The Reader’s Companion to Military History,” edited by Robert Cowley

• WNATO. (n.d.). NATO / Otan. “What is NATO?” Retrieved April 8, 2022, from nato.int/ nato-welcome/index. html

• Wong, E., & Jakes, L. (2022, January 13). “NATO won't let Ukraine join soon. here's why.” The New York Times. Retrieved April 8, 2022, from nytimes.com/2022/01/13/ us/politics/nato-ukraine. html

Suzanne Sanders is the new columnist for the library. She is the Community Services Manager for the San Marcos Public Library and came from the Austin Public Library in 2015 after having served there as a librarian for over 20 years. She gratefully accepts your questions for this column.