North Atlantic Treaty

Last updated

North Atlantic Treaty
NATOTreatyCopyAuthenticationPage.jpg
North Atlantic Treaty authentication page
TypeMilitary alliance
LocationWashington, D.C.
Effective24 August 1949;74 years ago (1949-08-24)
Condition Ratification by the majority of the signatories including Belgium, Canada, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States
Parties
32
  • Flag of Albania.svg Albania
  • Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium
  • Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria
  • Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada
  • Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia
  • Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic
  • Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark
  • Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia
  • Flag of Finland.svg Finland
  • Flag of France.svg France
  • Flag of Germany.svg Germany
  • Flag of Greece.svg Greece
  • Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary
  • Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland
  • Flag of Italy.svg Italy
  • Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia
  • Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania
  • Flag of Luxembourg.svg Luxembourg
  • Flag of Montenegro.svg Montenegro
  • Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands
  • Flag of North Macedonia.svg North Macedonia
  • Flag of Norway.svg Norway
  • Flag of Poland.svg Poland
  • Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal
  • Flag of Romania.svg Romania
  • Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia
  • Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia
  • Flag of Spain.svg Spain
  • Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden
  • Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey
  • Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
  • Flag of the United States.svg United States
Depositary Government of the United States of America
Languages French, English
Full text
Wikisource-logo.svg North Atlantic Treaty at Wikisource

The North Atlantic Treaty is the treaty that forms the legal basis of, and is implemented by, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The treaty was signed in Washington, D.C., on 4 April 1949.

Contents

Background

The treaty was signed in Washington, D.C., on 4 April 1949 by a committee which was chaired by US diplomat Theodore Achilles. Earlier secret talks had been held at the Pentagon between 22 March and 1 April 1948, of which Achilles said:

The talks lasted about two weeks and by the time they finished, it had been secretly agreed that there would be a treaty, and I had a draft of one in the bottom drawer of my safe. It was never shown to anyone except Jack [ Hickerson]. I wish I had kept it, but when I left the Department in 1950, I dutifully left it in the safe and I have never been able to trace it in the archives. It drew heavily on the Rio Treaty, and a bit of the Brussels Treaty, which had not yet been signed, but of which we were being kept heavily supplied with drafts. The eventual North Atlantic Treaty had the general form, and a good bit of the language of my first draft, but with a number of important differences. [1]

According to Achilles, another important author of the treaty was John D. Hickerson:

More than any human being Jack was responsible for the nature, content, and form of the Treaty...It was a one-man Hickerson treaty. [1]

As a fundamental component of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty is a product of the US' desire to avoid overextension at the end of World War II, and consequently pursue multilateralism in Europe. [2] It is part of the US' collective defense arrangement with Western European powers, following a long and deliberative process. [3] The treaty was created with an armed attack by the Soviet Union against Western Europe in mind, [4] although the mutual self-defense clause was never invoked during the Cold War.

By signing the North Atlantic Treaty, parties are "determined to safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilization of the peoples, founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law." [5]

Members

Founding members

Current NATO member states NATO members (blue).svg
Current NATO member states

The following twelve states signed the treaty and thus became the founding members of NATO. The following leaders signed the agreement as plenipotentiaries of their countries in Washington, D.C., on 4 April 1949: [6] [7]

Non-founding members who joined before the dissolution of the Soviet Union

Animated map of NATO membership over time History of NATO enlargement animation.gif
Animated map of NATO membership over time

The following four states joined the treaty after the 12 founding states, but before the dissolution of the Soviet Union:

Members who joined after the dissolution of the Soviet Union

The following 16 states joined the treaty after the dissolution of the Soviet Union:

Withdrawal

No state has rescinded its membership but some dependencies of member states have not requested membership after becoming independent:

  • Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus (independence from the United Kingdom in 1960)
  • Flag of Algeria.svg  Algeria (independence from France in 1962)
  • Flag of Malta.svg  Malta (independence from the United Kingdom in 1964)

Articles

Article 1

Article 1 of the treaty states that member parties "settle any international disputes in which they may be involved by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered, and to refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force in any manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations." [5]

Members seek to promote stability and well-being in the North Atlantic area through preservation of peace and security in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. [5]

Article 2

Article 2 of the treaty stipulates that "The Parties will contribute toward the further development of peaceful and friendly international relations by strengthening their free institutions, by bringing about a better understanding of the principles upon which these institutions are founded, and by promoting conditions of stability and well-being. They will seek to eliminate conflict in their international economic policies and will encourage economic collaboration between any or all of them." [8] This is sometimes referred to as the Canada Clause after Pearson pushed for its inclusion in the treaty. [9] This included proposals for a trade council, cultural program, technological sharing, and an information program. Of those, only the latter two were passed. [10] [11] Nonetheless, it has been brought up by observers commenting on trade disputes between members. [12]

Article 3

Article 3 of the treaty states that "In order more effectively to achieve the objectives of this Treaty, the Parties, separately and jointly, by means of continuous and effective self-help and mutual aid, will maintain and develop their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack." [5]

Recently, this has been interpreted as the basis for the target for a 2% GDP expenditure rule, [13] which was established as a loose guideline in 2006. [14] This metric was confirmed again during the 2014 Wales summit.

It has also been used as a core concept for a mandate to strengthen member resilience: the ability to resist and recover from major disasters, failures in infrastructure, or traditional armed attack. This commitment was first accepted during the 2016 Warsaw summit, and further reiterated and clarified due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. [15] [16] Per NATO documents, this has been understood to include seven key areas:

Article 4

Article 4 is generally considered the starting point for major NATO operations, and therefore is intended for either emergencies or situations of urgency. It officially calls for consultation over military matters when "the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the parties is threatened." [18] Upon its invocation, the issue is discussed in the North Atlantic Council, and can formally lead into a joint decision or action (logistic, military, or otherwise) on behalf of the Alliance. [19] It has been officially invoked seven times since the alliance's creation. [20]

Article 4 invocations
NationsDateReasonOutcome
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey February 2003 Iraq War. [20] [21] Operation Display Deterrence. [22]
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey June 2012 The shooting down of a Turkish military jet by Syria. [20] Operation Active Fence. [23]
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey October 2012 Syrian forces shelling Turkish cities. [20]
Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia [24]

Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania [25]
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland [26]

March 2014In response to the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.Deployment of littoral, naval, and air forces in the Black Sea by Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey. [27] Condemnation and support for sanctions of member countries and international community. [28] Reform and medical aid to the Ukrainian government. [29] Creation of the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence. [30]
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey July 2015In response to the 2015 Suruç bombing, which it attributed to ISIS, and other security issues along its southern border. [19] [31] [32] [33]

Denouncement of the attack [33] and reassessment of NATO assets in Turkey. [34]

Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey February 2020Increasing tensions as part of the Northwestern Syria offensive, including suspected [35] Syrian and Russian airstrikes on Turkish troops. [36] [20] Augmentation of Turkish air defences. [37] [38]
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria

Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic
Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia
Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia [39]

February 2022 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. [40]

Defensive build-up, [41] [42] matériel support to Ukraine, [43] and activation of the NATO Response Force. [44] [45]

There have also been instances where Article 4 was not formally invoked, but instead threatened. In fact, this was viewed as one of the original intentions for Article 4: as a means to elevate issues and provide member nations a means of deterrence. [46] For example, in November 2021, the Polish foreign ministry—along with Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia—briefly considered triggering Article 4 due to the Belarusian migrant crisis, but it was not formally requested. [47] [48]

Article 5

The key section of the treaty is Article 5. Its commitment clause defines the casus foederis . It commits each member state to consider an armed attack against one member state, in the areas defined by Article 6, to be an armed attack against them all. Upon such attack, each member state is to assist by taking "such action as [the member state] deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area." The article has only been invoked once, but considered in a number of other cases.

September 11 attacks

Article 5 has been invoked only once in NATO history, after the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001. [49] [50] The invocation was confirmed on 4 October 2001, when NATO determined that the attacks were indeed eligible under the terms of the North Atlantic Treaty. [51] The eight official actions taken by NATO in response to the 9/11 attacks included Operation Eagle Assist and Operation Active Endeavour, a naval operation in the Mediterranean which was designed to prevent the movement of terrorists or weapons of mass destruction, as well as enhancing the security of shipping in general. Active Endeavour began on 4 October 2001. [52]

Threatened invocations

Article 5 threats
PartyDateReason
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey June 2012

The downing of an "unarmed" Turkish military jet which was "13 sea miles" from Syria over "international waters" on a "solo mission to test domestic radar systems". [53] [54] On 25 June, the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister said that he intended to raise Article 5. [55]

Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey August 2012

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that "The tomb of Suleyman Shah [in Syria] and the land surrounding it is our territory. We cannot ignore any unfavorable act against that monument, as it would be an attack on our territory, as well as an attack on NATO land... Everyone knows his duty, and will continue to do what is necessary". [56]

Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
August 2022

Chair of the Defence Select Committee of the United Kingdom Tobias Ellwood said that any deliberate attack against the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine that could cause radiation leaks would be a breach of Article 5. This statement was released over fears that a nuclear catastrophe could occur in the Russian-occupied plant during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The next day, American congressman Adam Kinzinger said that any radiation leak into NATO countries would kill people, which would be an automatic activation of Article 5. [57]

Flag of Albania.svg  Albania October 2022

Albanian prime minister Edi Rama revealed that his government had considered invoking Article 5 in response to a major cyberattack on 15 July 2022 targeting critical and government infrastructure, widely believed to have been carried out on behalf of Iran by state–affiliated cybercriminals. [58] [59]

Article 6

Article 6 states that Article 5 covers only member states' territories in Europe, North America, Turkey, and islands in the Atlantic north of the Tropic of Cancer.

A clarification regarding the territories to which Article 5 applies was issued by Article 2 of the Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the accession of Greece and Turkey signed on 22 October 1951. [60] Subsequent expansions, such as to the FRG in 1955, were treated in the same way. [61]

In 1954, following India's annexation of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, the Portuguese government was precluded from invoking Article 5 due to Article 6, but it was understood at the time that Article 4 could be invoked. [62]

It was the opinion in August 1965 of the US State Department, the US Defense Department, and the legal division of NATO that an attack on the U.S. state of Hawaii would not trigger the treaty, but an attack on the other 49 would. [63] The Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the North African shore are thus not under NATO protection in spite of Moroccan claims to them. Legal experts have interpreted that other articles could cover the Spanish North African cities but this take has not been tested in practice. [64] This is also why events such as the Balyun airstrikes did not trigger Article 5, as the Turkish troops that were attacked were in Syria, not Turkey. [65]

On 16 April 2003, NATO agreed to take command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, which includes troops from 42 countries. The decision came at the request of Germany and the Netherlands, the two states leading ISAF at the time of the agreement, and all nineteen NATO ambassadors approved it unanimously. The handover of control to NATO took place on 11 August, and marked the first time in NATO's history that it took charge of a mission outside of the area delineated by Article 6. [66]

Articles 7 and 8

In the case of any contradiction with other international obligations (with the exception of the United Nations, which by Article 7 supersedes NATO), or in military conflict of two NATO members, Article 8 comes into force.[ citation needed ] This is most important in cases should one member engage in military action against another member, upon which the offending members would be held in abeyance of the treaty and thereby NATO protection as a whole. This has not occurred yet, but there have been several militarised disputes between NATO allies that have threatened this:

NATO Militarised Interstate Conflicts
DateBelligerentsConflict
1958–1961, 1972–73 and 1975–76Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany
Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland Cod Wars
1974Flag of Greece.svg  Greece Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Turkish invasion of Cyprus
1994–1996Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Turbot War
1992–PresentFlag of Greece.svg  Greece Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Aegean dispute

If an intra-NATO conflict were to occur, there exist intra-NATO alliances which would be triggered instead in the instance of the abeyance. The following is a list of such active, intra-NATO military alliances.

Intra-NATO Military Alliances
SinceMembersName
1373Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Anglo-Portuguese Treaty of 1373
1940Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Ogdensburg Agreement
1958Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
US–UK Mutual Defence Agreement
2010Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Lancaster House Treaties
2019Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
Aachen Treaty
2019Flag of Greece.svg  Greece
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement [67] [68] [69]
2021Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece
Franco-Greek defence agreement
2022Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
UK-Finland Defence Agreement [70] [71]
2022Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
UK-Sweden Defence Agreement [72] [71]
2023Flag of Greece.svg  Greece
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Anglo-Greek Defence Agreement [73] [74]

Article 9

Establishes the North Atlantic Council, and is the only NATO body that derives its authority directly from the treaty. Its primary objectives as stated in the treaty is the enforcement of Article 3 and Article 5.

Article 10

Article 10 dictates the process by which other countries may join NATO, which is by unanimous agreement by current NATO members. Further, new NATO members can only consist of other European nations. In practice, this has turned into a set of action plans which an aspiring nation must follow in order to become a member, including the Membership Action Plan (MAP) mechanism [75] and Intensified Dialogue formula. [76]

Article 11

Article 11 indicated the process of the initial ratification of the treaty. Each signatory nation was required to ratify the treaty through their respective constitutional processes. In order to come into force, the treaty had to be ratified by Belgium, Canada, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Article 12

Article 12 states the process by which the treaty may be amended, provided such amendments still affect the North Atlantic area and do not violate the Charter of the United Nations. In practice, this has only been used to clearly delineate which territories are under the purview of NATO.

Article 13

Article 13 delimits the process by which a member leaves NATO, which simply consists of a one-year notice by the member nation to the U.S. government in its role as the treaty depositary, which then promulgates the notice to the other member nations. This has been contemplated by a number of member nations, but so far has not happened aside from withdrawals due to independence of former territories or dependencies (namely, Algeria, Malta, and Cyprus).

Otherwise, the next closest option for a member nation is to instead withdraw from NATO's military command structure, but not from NATO entirely. This happened with France in 1966, which rejoined in 2009; and with Greece in 1974, which rejoined in 1980 after the new Turkish military government ended its objections to Greek re-entry.

Article 14

Article 14 notes the official languages of NATO as English and French, and that the United States government shall promulgate copies of the treaty to the other member nations.

Changes since signing

Three official footnotes have been released to reflect the changes made since the treaty was written: [77]

Regarding Article 6:

Regarding Article 6:

Regarding Article 11:

See also

Explanatory notes

  1. Joined as Kingdom of Greece.
  2. Joined as West Germany. After reunification in 1990, the former East German territory became covered by NATO protection.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NATO</span> Intergovernmental military alliance

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance of 32 member states – 30 European and two North American. Established in the aftermath of World War II, the organization implements the North Atlantic Treaty, signed in Washington, D.C., on 4 April 1949. NATO is a collective security system: its independent member states agree to defend each other against attacks by third parties. During the Cold War, NATO operated as a check on the threat posed by the Soviet Union. The alliance remained in place after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact and has been involved in military operations in the Balkans, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. The organization's motto is animus in consulendo liber. The organization's strategic concepts include deterrence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council</span> Multilateral forum of NATO states

The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) is a post–Cold War, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) institution. The EAPC is a multilateral forum created to improve relations between NATO and non-NATO countries in Europe and Central Asia. States meet to cooperate and discuss political and security issues. It was formed on 29 May 1997 at a Ministers’ meeting held in Sintra, Portugal, as the successor to the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC), which was created in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Partnership for Peace</span> Intergovernmental organization

The Partnership for Peace is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) program aimed at creating trust and cooperation between the member states of NATO and other states mostly in Europe, including post-Soviet states; 18 states are members. The program contains 6 areas of cooperation, which aims to build relationships with partners through military-to-military cooperation on training, exercises, disaster planning and response, science and environmental issues, professionalization, policy planning, and relations with civilian government. During policy negotiations in the 1990s, a primary controversy regarding PfP was its ability to be interpreted as a program that is a stepping stone for joining NATO with full Article 5 guarantees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanticism</span> Political ideology

Atlanticism, also known as Transatlanticism, is the ideology which advocates a close alliance between nations in Northern America and in Europe on political, economic, and defense issues. The purpose is to maintain or increase the security and prosperity of the participating countries and protect liberal democracy and the progressive values of an open society that unite them under multiculturalism. The term derives from the North Atlantic Ocean, which is bordered by North America and Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NATO Response Force</span> High-readiness NATO rapid deployment force

The NATO Response Force (NRF) is a high-readiness NATO rapid deployment force comprising land, sea, air, and special forces units capable of being deployed quickly within short notice. The NRF currently comprises up to 40,000 troops, with plans to increase its manpower to over 300,000 troops. Its forces include units from several non-NATO member partners, including Ukraine, and Georgia. Its forces also include units from Sweden, which joined the Response Force in 2013 and became a NATO member in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Istanbul summit</span> 2004 NATO summit meeting in Istanbul, Turkey

The 2004 Istanbul summit was held in Istanbul, Turkey from 28 to 29 June 2004. It was the 17th NATO summit in which NATO's Heads of State and Governments met to make formal decisions about security topics. In general, the summit is seen as a continuation of the transformation process that began in the 2002 Prague summit, which hoped to create a shift from a Cold War alliance against Soviet aggression to a 21st-century coalition against new and out-of-area security threats. The summit consisted of four meetings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia–NATO relations</span> Bilateral relations

Georgia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) enjoy cordial relations. Georgia is not currently a member of NATO, but has been promised by NATO to be admitted in the future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enlargement of NATO</span> Collective geopolitical action by NATO states

NATO is a military alliance of thirty-two European and North American countries that constitutes a system of collective defense. The process of joining the alliance is governed by Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which allows for the invitation of "other European States" only and by subsequent agreements. Countries wishing to join must meet certain requirements and complete a multi-step process involving political dialog and military integration. The accession process is overseen by the North Atlantic Council, NATO's governing body. NATO was formed in 1949 with twelve founding members and has added new members ten times. The first additions were Greece and Turkey in 1952. In May 1955, West Germany joined NATO, which was one of the conditions agreed to as part of the end of the country's occupation by France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, prompting the Soviet Union to form its own collective security alliance later that month. Following the end of the Franco regime, newly democratic Spain chose to join NATO in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Member states of NATO</span> Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NATO is an international military alliance consisting of 32 member states from Europe and North America. It was established at the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949. Article 5 of the treaty states that if an armed attack occurs against one of the member states, it shall be considered an attack against all members, and other members shall assist the attacked member, with armed forces if necessary. Article 6 of the treaty limits the scope of Article 5 to the islands north of the Tropic of Cancer, the North American and European mainlands, the entirety of Turkey, and French Algeria, the last of which has been moot since July 1962. Thus, an attack on Hawaii, Puerto Rico, French Guiana, the Falkland Islands, Ceuta or Melilla, among other places, would not trigger an Article 5 response.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ukraine–NATO relations</span> Bilateral relations

Relations between Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) started in 1991 following Ukraine's independence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Ukraine first joined NATO's Partnership for Peace program in 1994, later joining the Planning and Review Process in 1997 and the NATO-Ukraine Commission in 1998. Although Ukraine initially declared neutrality and non-alignment with military blocs after independence, it later signaled interest in eventual NATO membership. After Russia's annexation of Crimea and support for separatist forces in eastern Ukraine in 2014, Ukraine began actively pursuing NATO membership, formally declaring it a strategic policy objective in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russia–NATO relations</span> Bilateral relations

Relations between the NATO military alliance and the Russian Federation were established in 1991 within the framework of the North Atlantic Cooperation Council. In 1994, Russia joined the Partnership for Peace program, and on 27 May 1997, the NATO–Russia Founding Act (NRFA) was signed at the 1997 Paris NATO Summit in France, enabling the creation of the NATO–Russia Permanent Joint Council (NRPJC). Through the early part of 2010s NATO and Russia signed several additional agreements on cooperation. The NRPJC was replaced in 2002 by the NATO–Russia Council (NRC), which was established in an effort to partner on security issues and joint projects together.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of NATO</span> Overview of multilateral relations

NATO maintains foreign relations with many non-member countries across the globe. NATO runs a number of programs which provide a framework for the partnerships between itself and these non-member nations, typically based on that country's location. These include the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and the Partnership for Peace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Wales summit</span> 2014 NATO summit meeting in Newport, Wales

The 2014 Wales Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was a meeting of the heads of state and heads of government of the NATO countries, held in Newport, Wales on 4 and 5 September 2014. Such summits are sporadically held and allow leaders and officials from NATO Allies to discuss current issues of mutual concern and to plan strategic activities. The 2014 summit has been described by US Navy Admiral James G. Stavridis as the most important since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Common Security and Defence Policy</span> Aspect in of history

This article outlines the history of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) of the European Union (EU), a part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of NATO</span> History of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

The history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) begins in the immediate aftermath of World War II when British diplomacy set the stage to contain the Soviet Union and to stop the expansion of Soviet power in Europe. The United Kingdom and France signed, in 1947, the Treaty of Dunkirk, a defensive pact, which was expanded in 1948 with the Treaty of Brussels to add the three Benelux countries and committed them to collective defense against an armed attack for fifty years. The British worked with Washington to expand the alliance into NATO in 1949, adding the United States and Canada as well as Italy, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland. Greece and Turkey joined in 1952, West Germany joined in 1955, Spain joined in 1982, Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland joined in 1999, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia joined in 2004, Albania and Croatia joined in 2009, Montenegro joined in 2017, North Macedonia joined in 2020, Finland joined in 2023, and Sweden joined in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Active Fence</span> NATO operation in Turkey (2012-present)

Operation Active Fence is an ongoing NATO operation to protect the Turkish southern border region with Syria as part of the ongoing Syrian Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Withdrawal from NATO</span> Legal process of Article 13 of the North Atlantic Treaty

Withdrawal from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is the legal and political process whereby a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation withdraws from the North Atlantic Treaty, and thus the country in question ceases to be a member of NATO. The formal process is stated in article 13 of the Treaty. This says that any country that wants to leave must send the United States a "notice of denunciation", which the U.S. would then pass on to the other Allies. After a one-year waiting period, the country that wants to leave would be out.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armenia–NATO relations</span> Armenias relations with NATO

Armenia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have maintained a formal relationship since 1992, when Armenia joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council. Armenia officially established bilateral relations with NATO in 1994 when it became a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme. In 2002, Armenia became an Associate Member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

The 2022 NATO virtual summit was a meeting of the heads of state and heads of government of NATO held virtually, on 25 February 2022. The meeting took place at the request of the Latvian and Estonian governments, following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, which had begun a day earlier. The request was pursuant to Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which requires consultations when "the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the parties is threatened."

In the context of the enlargement of NATO, Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty is the origin for the April 1999 statement of a "NATO open door policy". The open door policy requires a consensus in favour of countries applying to join NATO, as all member states must ratify the protocol enabling a new country to become a member of NATO. The open doors policy "is aimed at promoting stability and cooperation".

References

  1. 1 2 "Theodore Achilles Oral History Interview". Truman Library. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  2. Cha, Victor (Winter 2009–2010). "Powerplay: Origins of U.S. Alliances in Asia". International Security. 34 (3): 158–196. doi:10.1162/isec.2010.34.3.158. S2CID   57566528.
  3. Mabon, David W. (May 1988). "Elusive Agreements: The Pacific Pact Proposals of 1949–1951". Pacific Historical Review. 57 (2): 147–178. doi:10.2307/4492264. JSTOR   4492264.
  4. "A short history of NATO". NATO. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "About this Collection | United States Treaties and Other International Agreements | Digital Collections | Library of Congress" (PDF). Library of Congress .
  6. Bevans, Charles Irving (1968). "North Atlantic Treaty". Treaties and other international agreements of the United States of America 1776–1949. Vol. 4, Multilateral 1946–1949. Washington, D.C.: Department of State. p. 831. LCCN   70600742. OCLC   6940 . Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  7. "NATO Declassified – Treaty Signatories". NATO.
  8. NATO. "The North Atlantic Treaty". NATO. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  9. "by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Massey College, Toronto (Canada)".
  10. "CANADA AND NATO". The report's ideas about enhanced economic partnerships and cultural connections were not implemented, but two major initiatives were adopted: a more robust information programme to explain NATO and its mission better to Allied audiences, and the creation of a NATO Science Programme, which has encouraged scientific and technological innovation across the Alliance and provided support to many Nobel laureates.
  11. "Report of the Committee of Three on Non-Military Co-Operation in NATO" (PDF).
  12. Eldon, Stewart (7 March 2017). "Brexit and Security".
  13. Jans, Karljin (18 March 2022). "Will Russia's invasion boost NATO's budget?". Clingendal Institute. which goes beyond the idea of the 2% target. This will require focusing on Alliance readiness levels, with at the centre the NATO Defence Planning Process, addressing the full spectrum of challenges. NATO's Article 3 will remain the fundamental principle to make this a reality.
  14. "Press Briefing by NATO Spokesman, James Appathurai after the meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of Defence Ministers". 8 June 2006. Finally, I should add that Allies through the comprehensive political guidance have committed to endeavour, to meet the 2% target of GDP devoted to defence spending. Let me be clear, this is not a hard commitment that they will do it. But it is a commitment to work towards it. And that will be a first within the Alliance.
  15. "Commitment to enhance resilience: Issued by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Warsaw". 8 July 2016.
  16. "Strengthened Resilience Commitment". 15 July 2021.
  17. "Resilience and Article 3". 11 July 2021.
  18. "Report of the Committee of Three on Non-Military Cooperation in NATO". NATO.int. 13 December 1956. Retrieved 25 February 2022. Special attention must be paid, as explicitly recognised in Article 4 of the Treaty, to matters of urgent and immediate importance to the members of NATO, and to 'emergency' situations where it may be necessary to consult closely on national lines of conduct affecting the interests of members of NATO as a whole. There is a continuing need, however, for effective consultation at an early stage on current problems, in order that national policies may be developed and action taken on the basis of a full awareness of the attitudes and interests of all the members of NATO. While all members of NATO have a responsibility to consult with their partners on appropriate matters, a large share of responsibility for such consultation necessarily rests on the more powerful members of the Community.
  19. 1 2 telegraph.co.uk: "Turkey calls for emergency Nato meeting to discuss Isil and PKK", 26 July 2015
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 "The consultation process and Article 4". NATO.int. 24 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  21. Statement by NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson, on measures in relation to a possible threat to Turkey (Speech). 10 February 2003. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  22. "Conclusion of Operation Display Deterrence and Article 4 security consultations". 16 April 2003. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  23. "NATO Foreign Ministers' statement on Patriot deployment to Turkey". 5 December 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2022. As the North Atlantic Council made clear on June 26 and October 3, we stand with Turkey in the spirit of strong solidarity. We, the NATO foreign ministers, declare our determination to deter threats to and defend Turkey. In response to Turkey's request, NATO has decided to augment Turkey's air defence capabilities in order to defend the population and territory of Turkey and contribute to the de-escalation of the crisis along the Alliance's border.
  24. "UNSC, EU, NATO to hold urgent meetings over Ukraine". 1 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014. Meanwhile, Lithuania and Latvia called upon the North Atlantic Council, the decision-making body of NATO, to hold an extraordinary session on Ukraine, citing security concerns., Turkishpress.com
  25. Ford, Matt (1 March 2014). "Russia's Seizure of Crimea Is Making Former Soviet States Nervous". The Atlantic . Retrieved 4 March 2014. Linas Linkevicius, Lithuania's foreign minister, responded on Saturday by invoking Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty ... for only the fourth time in the alliance's history.
  26. Baker, Peter (3 March 2014). "Top Russians Face Sanctions by U.S. for Crimea Crisis". The New York Times . Retrieved 4 March 2014. NATO called its second emergency meeting on Ukraine in response to a request from Poland under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty relating to threats to a member state's security and independence.
  27. "Press conference by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg following the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission". 26 November 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2022. NATO has increased its presence in the Black Sea region on land, but also with air policing over the Black Sea region, including the Black Sea, and we have a regular NATO presence in the Black Sea, with naval capabilities. Then of course we have three littoral states: Romania, Turkey and Bulgaria
  28. "Statement by the North Atlantic Council on Crimea". 18 March 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  29. "NATO Secretary General statement on the extraordinary meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission". 26 January 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  30. "NATO war game defends Baltic weak spot for first time". EURACTIV MEDIA NETWORK BV. 19 June 2017.
  31. Ford, Dana (27 July 2015). "Turkey calls for rare NATO talks after attacks along Syrian border". CNN. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  32. nytimes.com: "Turkey and U.S. Plan to Create Syria ‘Safe Zone’ Free of ISIS", 27 July 2015
  33. 1 2 "Statement by the North Atlantic Council following meeting under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty". 28 July 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  34. "Statement by NATO Foreign Ministers on Assurance to Turkey". 1 December 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2022. On the basis of our December 2012 decision, the Alliance has been augmenting Turkey's air defence. We remain determined, in a spirit of 28 for 28, to continue developing additional NATO assurance measures and Allies are working to prepare other possible contributions.
  35. "Russia denies involvement in airstrikes on Turkish troops in Idlib". Daily Sabah . 28 February 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  36. "Greece 'vetoes NATO statement' on support for Turkey amid Syria escalation". 29 February 2020. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2022. The Russian military later explained that the Syrian army targeted Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorists operating in the province, adding that Syrian government forces were not informed about the Turkish presence in the area.
  37. "Statement by the Secretary General after Article 4 consultations". 28 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  38. "Refugees reach Greek border as EU demands Turkey upholds its migration commitments". euronews.com. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020. The emergency meeting, held on Friday morning in Brussels, was held under Article 4 of NATO's founding treaty, which allows any ally to request consultations if it feels its territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened.
  39. "NATO vows to defend its entire territory after Russia attack". AP NEWS. 24 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  40. "Polska chce uruchomienia art. 4 traktatu waszyngtońskiego. Wniosek już złożony". Do Rzeczy . 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022.
  41. "Statement by the North Atlantic Council on Russia's attack on Ukraine". 24 February 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022. Today, we have held consultations under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty. We have decided, in line with our defensive planning to protect all Allies, to take additional steps to further strengthen deterrence and defence across the Alliance.
  42. "NATO to deploy thousands of commandos to nations near Ukraine". Al Jazeera. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  43. "Stoltenberg varsler mer hjelp". NRK (in Norwegian). 28 February 2022. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  44. "NATO puts warplanes on alert, to increase troop presence on eastern flank". The Star . Archived from the original on 26 February 2022.
  45. Cook, Lorne. "NATO leaders agree to bolster eastern forces after invasion". ABC News . Archived from the original on 26 February 2022.
  46. Sherrod L. Bumgardner. "Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty" . Retrieved 26 February 2022. In 1954, the first Secretary General of NATO, Lord Ismay, emphasized Article 4 consultation as a deterrence measure before an armed attack
  47. "Poland considers activating Nato's Article 4, says PM". 14 November 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  48. "Baltics pledge support to Poland over NATO's Article 4". 16 November 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  49. NATO: Key Events (timeline), 2001: "Large-scale terrorist attacks in New York and Washington D.C.—NATO invokes Article 5 for the first time ever and adopts a broader approach to security"
  50. Daley, Suzanne (13 September 2001). "AFTER THE ATTACKS: THE ALLIANCE; For First Time, NATO Invokes Joint Defense Pact With U.S." The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  51. "NATO Update: Invocation of Article 5 confirmed – 2 October 2001". Nato.int. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  52. "NATO's Operations 1949–Present" (PDF). NATO. 22 January 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  53. todayszaman.com: "Turkey says jet shot down in international airspace " Archived 26 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine , 24 June 2012
  54. todayszaman.com: "Turkey not to invoke Art. 5, NATO war in Syria as unlikely as ever" Archived 27 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine , 25 June 2015
  55. "Turkey: Syria's jet downing an attack on the whole of NATO". TodaysZaman. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015.
  56. Ankara warns against attack on tomb, Hürriyet Daily News, 7 August 2012.
  57. "UK, US Set Ultimatum Against Russia Due To Provocations At Zaporizhzhia NPP". Charter 97. 20 August 2022.
  58. Miller, Maggie (5 October 2022). "Albania weighed invoking NATO's Article 5 over Iranian cyberattack". Politico . Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  59. Watson, Adrienne (7 September 2022). "Statement by NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson on Iran's Cyberattack against Albania". The White House . Archived from the original on 7 September 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  60. "Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of Greece and Turkey".
  61. Antoaneta Boeva & Ivan Novotny, Scope and Historical Developments of Article 6, 34 Emory Int'l L. Rev. 121 (2019)}}
  62. Adams Schmidt, Dana. "NATO GIVES INDIA VIEW ON COLONIES; Says Lisbon Has Right to Ask Powers to Consult but Not to Act on Threat to Goa". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  63. Hall, John (8 August 1965). "Hawaii Lacks NATO Coverage if Attacked". Chicago Tribune. UPI. p. 4. Retrieved 9 January 2019 via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  64. "¿Están Ceuta y Melilla bajo el paraguas de la OTAN?". Newtral (in Spanish). 2 October 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  65. "Turkey's Troubles in Idlib: Does Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Hold the Answer?". 20 March 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  66. David P. Auerswald, and Stephen M. Saideman, eds. NATO in Afghanistan: Fighting Together, Fighting Alone (Princeton U.P., 2014)
  67. "US, Greece Sign Revised Defense Cooperation Agreement". US News. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  68. "Greece, US hail strategic relationship after signing defence deal". The New Athenian. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  69. Pamuk, Humeyra (14 October 2021). "Blinken says renewed U.S.-Greece defense deal to advance stability in Eastern Mediterranean". Reuters.
  70. "UNITED KINGDOM – FINLAND STATEMENT HELSINKI, 11 MAY 2022" (PDF). GOV.UK. 11 May 2022.
  71. 1 2 "Sweden, Finland Sign Defense Treaty with the U.K. Ahead of Joining NATO". National Review . 11 May 2022.
  72. "UK-Sweden Political Declaration of Solidarity". GOV.UK. 11 May 2022.
  73. "UK and Greece seek strengthened Defence partnership".
  74. "UK, Greece Seek Strengthened Defence Partnership". 8 February 2023.
  75. "Membership Action Plan (MAP)". NATO (Press release). 24 April 1999. NAC-S(99)66. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  76. "NATO Press Release M-NAC-2 (97)155". www.nato.int. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  77. The North Atlantic Treaty, Washington D.C., 16 January 1963 [1949-04-04]{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Further reading