NATO, an alliance that was formed to protect Europe and the liberal values from Soviet expansionism, has now turned into a greater threat than the expansion of the Soviet influence. It can be witnessed IN NATO`s involvement in world politics that NATO has always been promoting the western narrative of the “liberal world order”. The failed war and invasion in Afghanistan and Iraq are among the few disasters suffered by NATO proving its supremacy over its allies and the world in which the US interests are carried out by NATO. In addition, out of the fear of competing with emerging powers, NATO’s original goals have evolved into a power-maximization strategy, and it has become a tool of the USA. The following sheds light on NATO`s expansionist policies and its utility as a peacekeeping organization through the prism of neo-realism.
The theoretical perspective shows that NATO has been following the neo-realist approach in advancing its power to different regions of the world. This is more specifically being done to promote the domination of the USA. Although NATO was a peace-oriented organization, regrettably it has proven to be a destructive and peace-disturbing organization. The power-maximization approach of NATO can be proven by the current example of NATO provoking Russia, which is just the beginning of the power game and could consequently lead to World War 3.
First, NATO`s expansion is a lingering threat to global peace due to its unnecessary intervention in international affairs leading to instability in the involved region. NATO was supposed to be protecting and not violating liberal values. However, the cases of human rights violations can be seen in every single country that NATO invaded in the name of democratic values, humanitarian intervention and/or regime change. Even today, countries are not at peace and the civil wars have ruined their infrastructure, democracy, and human rights in those regions; for example, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Libya; while those regions, where NATO remained silent due to unified interests, such as, Kashmir, Burma, and Palestine, are also struggling with a humanitarian crisis.
Neither was the former Soviet Union’s expansion an international problem to be solved by an international organization, nor was Ukraine a NATO member protected by the West. However, according to the neorealist school of thought, it was just an attempt to ensure the west`s interest in the region and to counter Russia as a whole. The interest of the USA in this conflict zone is an opportunity to lift its economy by boosting its military market. The hegemon’s ploy to trigger the war has been successfully executed and affected Europe’s defence budget, which has increased significantly to €200 billion. This is profiting the military pocket of the USA as Europe is militarily dependent on it.
NATO needs to revise its policies and make them effective to promote peace among countries. After all, the world today is well connected and is interdependent and the absence of peace in one corner may affect peace across the globe. In the absence of concrete evidence of success, rapidly developing nations like China and India would be forced to increase their strength, ultimately posing a larger threat to everyone on earth, especially in the era of nuclear weapons.
Second, NATO’s credibility is on the verge of collapse, as it is clear that the leading powers’ influence on NATO is causing the demise of its original policies. Since the 1970s mostly the Muslim states have been targeted by the West, including the USA’s regime change operations in Afghanistan (2022), Iraq (2003), Egypt (2011), Libya (2011), and an attempt for regime change in Syria (2011), and alleged attempts for regime change in Turkey (2015), and Pakistan (2022).
Critically speaking, the interventions and conspiracies in the name of regime change among the major Muslim countries are not just a mere coincidence. This shows how prominently the USA influences NATO into adopting policies according to its desire. National Interests, presumably. Most scholars question NATO`s existence after the disintegration of the USSR. It has lost the status of securing and preserving peace, and with time its credibility has started vanishing, affecting its goals and aims. Moreover, NATO`s expansion has become a tool of the Thucydides Trap in the unipolar world which is triggering the security dilemma.
Third, the western narrative is apparently based on the liberal democratic norms and is a trap of the West to attain hegemony. NATO`s involvement in different regions of the world in the name of a ‘just war’ and installation of democracy has either formed terrorist groups or turned the region into a constant conflict zone (the civil wars in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Afghanistan).
Consequently, as neo-realists rightly claim, NATO`s expansion would lead to a security dilemma. Therefore, the international security system would become more vulnerable and that would prompt the states to strengthen their positions of power and would eventually lead to an arms race and multipolarity. Moreover, NATO is being led by the USA and unlike its claims, NATO is not driven by liberal principles of justice, equality, human rights and peace, but has now become an expansionist organization.
NATO appears to be a real threat to world peace, and it is time for NATO member states to halt and think before taking any decision to prevent the war in Ukraine from spreading beyond its borders. As a result, it will not only affect the US dominance in Europe and the rest of the world, but it will make Europe a theatre of war once again.
NATO needs to revise its policies and make them effective to promote peace among countries. After all, the world today is well connected and is interdependent and the absence of peace in one corner may affect peace across the globe. In the absence of concrete evidence of success, rapidly developing nations like China and India would be forced to increase their strength, ultimately posing a larger threat to everyone on earth, especially in the era of nuclear weapons.
