Nato Expansion: New Members Sweden and Finland Join, Defense Spending Increases Amid Russian Threat
Nato, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a military alliance founded in 1949 by 12 countries, including the US, UK, Canada, and France.
Its original purpose was to counter the expansion of the Soviet Union, a group of communist states including Russia.
More recently, Nato admitted Sweden and Finland as new members in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and has been bolstering its defenses in eastern Europe.
The UK government has pledged to increase defense spending to counter threats from "authoritarian states." Nato currently has 30 member countries.
Nato is a military alliance where members agree to defend each other if attacked.
The organization does not have its own army, but members can take collective military action in response to crises and coordinate military plans.
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Nato considered it the "most significant and direct threat to allies' security." Nato has 32 members, including the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and several Eastern European countries that joined after the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, such as Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
In May 2022, Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Finland, which shares a 1,340km border with Russia, joined the alliance in April 2023.
Sweden's membership was delayed until March 2024 due to objections from Turkey and Hungary.
Turkey objected to Sweden's membership because of its refugee policy towards groups like the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which Turkey considers a terrorist organization.
However, Turkey eventually backed Sweden's membership in January.
More recently, Nato admitted Sweden and Finland as new members in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and has been bolstering its defenses in eastern Europe.
The UK government has pledged to increase defense spending to counter threats from "authoritarian states." Nato currently has 30 member countries.
Nato is a military alliance where members agree to defend each other if attacked.
The organization does not have its own army, but members can take collective military action in response to crises and coordinate military plans.
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Nato considered it the "most significant and direct threat to allies' security." Nato has 32 members, including the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and several Eastern European countries that joined after the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, such as Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
In May 2022, Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Finland, which shares a 1,340km border with Russia, joined the alliance in April 2023.
Sweden's membership was delayed until March 2024 due to objections from Turkey and Hungary.
Turkey objected to Sweden's membership because of its refugee policy towards groups like the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which Turkey considers a terrorist organization.
However, Turkey eventually backed Sweden's membership in January.
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