NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization – is a military alliance formed in 1949 by 12 countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, and France.

Members agree to come to one another’s aid in the event of an armed attack against any one member state. Its aim was originally to counter the threat of post-war Russian expansion in Europe.

In 1955 Soviet Russia responded to Nato by creating its own military alliance of eastern European communist countries, called the Warsaw Pact.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, a number of former Warsaw Pact countries switched sides and became Nato members. The alliance now has 30 members.

Is Ukraine Part of NATO?

Ukraine is not a NATO member, though Putin’s declared reasoning for the invasion (which is subject to scrutiny) includes the idea that Ukraine could join or have close ties to the NATO group.

But among the NATO members are a small group of countries that directly border Russia and, if Putin sets his targets on them, would be nations the U.S. has a responsibility to help defend.

According to an official NATO statement, the new status “does not prejudge any decisions on NATO membership.”

The relationship between Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) started in 1992.

Ukraine applied to begin a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) in 2008.

On 14 September 2020, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky approved Ukraine’s new National Security Strategy, “which provides for the development of the distinctive partnership with NATO with the aim of membership in NATO.”

On October 8, 2020, during a meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson in London, President Zelensky stated that Ukraine needs a NATO Membership Action Plan, as NATO membership will contribute to Ukraine’s security and defense