Let’s jump right in. Which countries are in NATO? These 30.
12 Original Members (1949)
- Belgium
- Canada
- Denmark
- France
- Iceland
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Portugal
- United Kingdom
- United States
18 Additional Members
- Greece (1952)
- Turkey (1952)
- West Germany (1955—as Germany since 1990)
- Spain (1982)
- Czech Republic (1999)
- Hungary (1999)
- Poland (1999)
- Bulgaria (2004)
- Estonia (2004)
- Latvia (2004)
- Lithuania (2004)
- Romania (2004)
- Slovakia (2004)
- Slovenia (2004)
- Albania (2009)
- Croatia (2009)
- Montenegro (2017)
- North Macedonia (2020)
Bonus Q&A
What is NATO anyway?
NATO stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It is a military alliance formed in 1949 to counteract the threat of Soviet expansion and aggression. In response, the Soviet Union formed the Warsaw Pact, an alliance that included several communist Eastern European countries. When the Soviet Union collapsed toward the end of the 20th century, the Warsaw Pact crumbled along with it. NATO has since expanded and now includes all former non-Russian Warsaw Pact members, a fact that has been quite irritating—and threatening—in the eyes of Russia.
Where is NATO headquartered?
The political/administrative headquarters is in Brussels, Belgium. The headquarters of the Allied Command Operations, responsible for the planning and execution of NATO military operations, is near Mons, Belgium.
What are the official languages of NATO?
English and French. As such, you might occasionally see the acronym written as OTAN (Organisation du traité de l’Atlantique nord).
In addition to the ones listed above, are any other countries involved?
Sort of. NATO has established some hazy partnerships including but not limited to the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (NATO plus 20 other European and Asian countries), the Mediterranean Dialogue (Israel, Jordan, and several North African countries), and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates). Given that Russia and Ukraine are both part of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, these partnerships might not always be the most sturdy.
Has NATO ever actually taken military action?
Yes, starting with some minor activity after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Since then, NATO has intervened in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Afghanistan. The alliance also participated in a training mission in Iraq, anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia, and the enforcement of a no-fly zone during the First Libyan Civil War. While not directly involved, NATO members have provided various types of support to Ukraine in its defense against a Russian invasion.
What is Article 5?
Article 5 is arguably the most important article of the treaty for which NATO is named. It states that an armed attack against one member state is considered an attack against them all. The article has been invoked once—after the September 11 attacks on the US, leading to the aforementioned intervention in Afghanistan.
Do all countries contribute equally to NATO?
No. The US spends more on defense than all other NATO members combined. Even when defense spending is measured as a percent of GDP or per capita, the US is still number one—by a lot. And the US has more than triple the number of active duty military personnel than Turkey, which has the second most.
How about in terms of directly contributing to NATO’s budget—is that equal?
No. Members contribute in accordance with a formula based on Gross National Income. The US ends up contributing 16.3444 percent, as does Germany. The remaining 28 members take care of the other 67.3112 percent.
Why does Russia seem to blame the US for everything NATO does?
A few reasons. First, the US has been key in the formation and expansion of NATO. Second, as above, the US is the major contributor to the alliance, and the US military tends to pop up in other NATO countries. Finally, the feeling is that—regardless of what the treaty says—decision making goes through the US.
What if I want to learn more?
Read this book—the first chapter does a fantastic job of explaining the story of NATO as it pertains to—you guessed it—Russia.
