Reflecting on the history of World War I; we are well aware of how Europe was ravaged completely, millions of civilians became the victim of this war, economies were shattered and ruined, and the Soviet armies began directing all the states of central and Eastern Europe- moreover how the USSR began to exert its control on these states, by consolidating with the communists and suppressing all the non-communist political activities, the destruction of wartime cooperation with the Western Allies and the continual military occupation on each side of Germany, leading the Western allies to question their own political and national security. Such opposing circumstances ultimately led to the formation of NATO, whose sole purpose was to keep “America in, Russia out and Germany down.”
Consequently, in 1949, the first-ever military organisation was formed as a respite from the destruction and suffering of World War II in Western Europe and to consequently cease the expansion of communism all across Europe, today known as NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation). Europe, as well as the USA, soon realized that if they didn’t consolidate or strengthen themselves any sooner there might take place an unlikely invasion within Western Europe by the USSR and would ultimately grant a hold to Russia.
NATO, which began with the unification of 12 countries and gradually extended to 30 countries, is now about to accept Sweden and Finland as new members, as both of these European neutral states have simultaneously handed over their official applications to join NATO, for the sake of regional stability across Europe. No doubt Finland and Sweden have always supported NATO’s significant actions but this time, Finland and Sweden showed their independent desires to join NATO, just after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Yet the addition of these two new members might lead to another conflict in Europe as the Russian invasion in Ukraine took place to prevent Ukraine from becoming a part of NATO and further to prevent it from seeking any sort of help from NATO, and there lies another possibility for Finland and Sweden, they might face the same ramification as Ukraine is now going through. Moreover, Russia is highly against all European countries becoming a part of NATO, as Russia would never allow the USA to dominate its power and control across Europe and leave Russia alone to endure misery.
Dating back in time when the USA and the USSR signed a Treaty, in order “to reduce the nuclear arms instead of creating an arms ceiling”; in this Treaty the USA confirmed to the USSR that the NATO’s expansion wouldn’t cross the boundaries of west Germany, yet here we are witnessing the USA assisting the expansion of NATO across Europe, as the USA only expressed such condition and never itself concluded it as a part of that Treaty, hence Russia can never claim its right to prevent European countries from becoming NATO members.
Maybe it’s time for a brief pause in NATO’s expansion, as the war within the Ukraine boundaries would consequently expand and the idea of isolating Russia and securing Europe might lead to the demolition of Europe and the USA’s dominance across Europe might end as well. NATO should overlook its military strategy with increasing Russian threats or should rather think twice before expanding NATO, which is said to be one of the major threats to peace.
As a consequence of Russia’s opposition to Ukraine, Ukraine never officially became a member of NATO hence it wasn’t in NATO’s authority to send its troops to Ukraine- moreover NATO members believed that NATO’s troops against Russia would lead to a crucial conflict between Russia and the West. Therefore America helped Ukraine by providing it with weapons worth $400 million, to keep its very own purposes straight; first to keep this conflict within the boundaries of Russia and Ukraine, and second, to erode Russia’s economic and political strength.
Turkish president Tayyip Erdoğan has also opposed these two countries from becoming NATO members, as the Turkish government has claimed that these two European states relentlessly support Kurdish terrorists. As Sweden persistently funds the Kurds, hence Erdoğan says that accepting such states, which continually support such terrorist groups should not be allowed to become a part of NATO, as the Kurdish party has always been the cause of conflicts within Turkey. No doubt Turkey is the second most influential state in NATO, after the USA, and the withdrawal of these two European states might not leave that deep effect as Turkey’s.
Doubtlessly NATO has flourished and strengthened with the financial funding of the USA, as its incentive was to use NATO to assert its control all across Europe as both the USA and Europe have the largest economic and military power and they together possess half of the world’s GDP. But in 2019, US former President Donald Trump thought it necessary for the USA to withdraw from NATO, claiming that the USA had spent 4 percent of GDP on the defence budget for NATO while the rest of the members have only spent 1 percent of their GDP, and he maintained that the USA had sacrificed too much for NATO; and now it was time for NATO to move on without the USA.
A turmoil arose in the US administration just after Trump claimed his desires, as such an act would let the USA lose its peaceful partnership and control across Europe and would prove to be an evident victory for Russia, moreover about 29 countries across Europe joined this alliance for the sake of the USA’s defence after the 9/11 attack, and if the USA somehow withdrew from NATO, its worth would sway away.
After the Ukrainian War, Europe is facing a food, energy, economic and security crisis while on the other hand, the USA alongside Europe is isolating Russia from the rest of the international world. The idea of accepting Finland and Sweden would lead to more destruction in Europe and would be unfair to Ukraine not to accept it as a NATO member as well.
Maybe it’s time for a brief pause in NATO’s expansion, as the war within the Ukraine boundaries would consequently expand and the idea of isolating Russia and securing Europe might lead to the demolition of Europe and the USA’s dominance across Europe might end as well. NATO should overlook its military strategy with increasing Russian threats or should rather think twice before expanding NATO, which is said to be one of the major threats to peace.
