NATO’s 70th Anniversary Meet

Why in news?

Leaders of the member states of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) are gathered in London to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the defence alliance.

When and why was NATO formed?

• NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) was founded in 1949 as a defence alliance.
• It was meant to ensure collective protection for its members against the threat of possible post-War communist expansion and aggression by the Soviet Union.
• The key member States included the United States, Canada, and American allies in Europe.
• The Soviet Union too, formed its own defence and political alliance with Eastern European nations as a counterbalance to NATO.
• In this context was signed the Warsaw Pact in 1955.
• This alliance was disbanded after the dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1991.

What is the current relevance of NATO?

• NATO has traditionally focused on Russia and the European neighbourhood.
• It had the need to deter “revisionist” and “militarily advanced” Russia, and the threat posed by rogue nations such as North Korea.
• However, with the collapse of the USSR, NATO lost its fundamental purpose of existence.
• For most NATO members, the primary concern now is the expansionist ambition of China.

What are the present contentions within NATO states?

• France’s President Emmanuel Macron has clashed publicly with both U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
• President Macron described NATO as “brain dead”.
• He also accused Turkey of working with Islamic state proxies.
• He observed that the common enemy today was the terrorist groups.
• However, the NATO states do not have the same definition of terrorism among them.
• In this context, he referred to Turkey wanting to recognise the Kurdish YPG militia as a terrorist organisation.
• The militia fought alongside US special forces in Syria against the IS.
• On the other hand, President Erdogan of Turkey calls for NATO’s support to defeat Syrian Kurds at its borders.
• This is something that France and the US do not agree with.
• But Erdogan rejects NATO’s military plan for the Baltic nations against Russia, unless Turkey receives support for its plans in regards with the Kurds.
• The withdrawal of US Forces from Syria is another irritant in the NATO relations.
• Expenditure - During NATO’s Brussels Summit in 2018, Trump criticised European nations, especially Germany for not spending enough on defence.
• As per an agreement that was reached in 2014, member nations are supposed to spend up to 2% of their GDP on defence on a voluntary basis.
• According to NATO data until 2018, the US spends the highest percentage of its GDP (at least 3.5%) on defence.
• The Europeans, including the French, the Germans, the Italians, and the Spaniards, spend less than 2%.

What are the challenges before NATO?

• There is much for the NATO leaders to pay attention to including issues related to China and Russia, and the future of arms control.
• However, a key priority now relates to the difference and disunity in the alliance.
• There is very limited scope for the convergence of the distinct national priorities of the member countries.
• France’s priority at the moment is the eradication of terrorism from northeast Syria.
• The US under Trump clearly wants to get out of the Middle East and focus more on the military rise of China.
• The challenge is made stronger by the personalities of the leaders.
• The Europeans are clearly impatient with Erdogan.
• On the other hand, Trump’s unpredictability and repeated attacks on European countries and leaders has not endeared him to them.

Source: Indian Express