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North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, North Atlantic Alliance(English) North Atlantic Treaty Organization , NATO; fr. Organization du traité de l "Atlantique Nord , OTAN) is the world's largest military-political bloc, uniting most European countries, the USA and Canada. Founded on April 4, 1949 in the USA, “to protect Europe from Soviet influence.” Then 12 countries became NATO member states - the USA, Canada, Iceland, Great Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Denmark, Italy and Portugal. It is a “transatlantic forum” for allied countries to consult on any issues affecting the vital interests of its members, including events that could threaten their security. One of NATO's declared goals is to provide deterrence or protection against any form of aggression against the territory of any NATO member state.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Organization du traité de l’Atlantique Nord (OTAN)
NATO flag
Member countries map
Membership:	28 states [show]
Headquarters:	Brussels, Belgium
Official languages:	English French
Managers
Secretary General	Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Base
Official site
North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Wikimedia Commons

Goals

In accordance with the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949, NATO aims to enhance stability and prosperity in the North Atlantic region. “The participating countries have joined forces to create collective defense and maintain peace and security.”

NATO's 2010 Strategic Concept, Active Participation, Modern Defence, presents NATO's three most important missions - collective defence, crisis management and cooperative security.

Regional teams

There are two regional commands within Allied Command Europe:

• Northern European Allied Forces: Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Czech Republic; headquartered in Brunsam, the Netherlands;
• Southern European Allied Forces: Hungary, Greece, Italy, Spain and Turkey; headquarters - Naples, Italy.

The Atlantic High Command consists of five headquarters:

1. Eastern Atlantic,
2. Western Atlantic,
3. South Atlantic,
4. Strike fleet,
5. Allied Submarine Command.

The official languages ​​of NATO are English and French.

The headquarters of the NATO Council is located in Brussels (Belgium).

Members

Main article: NATO expansion

date	A country	Notes
founding countries
April, 4 1949
April, 4 1949	Great Britain
April, 4 1949
April, 4 1949	Iceland	Iceland is the only NATO member that does not have regular armed forces; this was one of the conditions for the country's entry into the organization. Iceland only has a coast guard. It was also decided to train Icelandic volunteers at bases in Norway to participate in NATO peacekeeping missions.
April, 4 1949	Italy
April, 4 1949	Canada
April, 4 1949	Luxembourg
April, 4 1949	Netherlands
April, 4 1949	Norway
April, 4 1949	Portugal
April, 4 1949	USA
April, 4 1949	France	Since July 1966 France withdrew from the military organization of NATO, remaining a participant in the political structure of the North Atlantic Treaty. In 2009 she returned to all abandoned structures.
first expansion
18th of Febuary 1952	Greece	WITH 1974 to 1980 Greece did not take part in the NATO military organization due to tense relations with another member of the bloc - Turkey.
18th of Febuary 1952	Türkiye
second expansion
9th May 1955	Germany	West Germany joined. The Saarland reunited with Germany in 1957, and on October 3, 1990 - a united Germany.
third expansion
May 30 1982	Spain	Does not participate in the NATO military organization.
fourth expansion
March 12 1999	Hungary
March 12 1999	Poland
March 12 1999	Czech
fifth expansion
March 29 2004	Bulgaria
March 29 2004	Latvia
March 29 2004	Lithuania
March 29 2004	Romania
March 29 2004	Slovakia
March 29 2004	Slovenia
March 29 2004	Estonia
sixth expansion
April 1 2009	Albania
April 1 2009	Croatia

Partners

Possible members

Membership Action Plan Participants

A country	Partnership for Peace		Accelerated dialogue	Membership Action Plan
Macedonia	November 1995			April 1999
Montenegro	December 2006	June 2008	April 2008	December 2009
Bosnia and Herzegovina	December 2006	January 2008	April 2008	April 2010

Participants of the Accelerated Dialogue

A country	Partnership for Peace	Individual affiliate plan	Accelerated dialogue
Ukraine	February 1994	November 2002	April 2005
Georgia	March 1994	October 2004	September 2006

Relationship

USSR, Russia

Main article: Russia and NATO

The USSR perceived the creation of the bloc in 1949 as a threat to its own security. In 1954 in Berlin, at a meeting of the foreign ministers of the United States, Great Britain, France and the USSR, Soviet representatives were assured that NATO was a purely defensive organization. In response to calls for cooperation, the USSR offered NATO member countries its membership in the alliance, but this initiative was rejected. In response, the Soviet Union formed in 1955 a military bloc of states pursuing pro-Soviet policies - Warsaw Pact .

After the collapse of the Warsaw Pact and the USSR, the NATO bloc, which, according to official documents, was created to repel the Soviet threat, did not cease to exist and began to expand eastward. And if earlier the bloc declared its main goal to repel the Soviet threat, now, according to the American left-wing publicist Noam Chomsky, “the task is to control the international energy system, sea routes, pipelines - and everything else that hegemony decides to control.”

In April 2006, answering questions from the Moscow News newspaper, A. I. Solzhenitsyn stated:

“NATO is methodically and persistently developing its military apparatus - to the East of Europe and to the continental coverage of Russia from the South. Here there is open material and ideological support for color revolutions, and the paradoxical introduction of North Atlantic interests into Central Asia. All this leaves no doubt that the complete encirclement of Russia is being prepared, and then the loss of its sovereignty.”

NATO- stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization. This is a military-political bloc that unites most European countries, the USA and Canada. Founded on April 4, 1949 in the USA "to protect Europe from Soviet influence." It is a “transatlantic forum” for allied countries to consult on any issues affecting the vital interests of its members, including events that could threaten their security. One of NATO's declared goals is to provide deterrence or protection from any form of aggression against the territory of any NATO member state.

Which countries are members of NATO? Total members of the North Atlantic Alliance are 28 countries, five states are participating in NATO's Enhanced Partnership programs, Serbia is negotiating to join NATO's Individual Partnership Plan program, and Finland has announced the possibility of joining NATO in the future. The military expenditures of all NATO members combined amount to more than 70 percent of the global volume.

Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.
Secretary General: Jens Stoltenberg.
Official site: nato.int
NATO on social networks: Twitter , Facebook , YouTube

№	A country	Number of aircraft (thousand people)	Aircraft expenses as a percentage of GDP	Aircraft expenses per capita, $
1	Albania	20	1.47	55
2	Belgium	34	1.05	504
3	Bulgaria	68.45	1.46	121
4	Canada	62.3	1.24	530
5	Croatia	51	1.70	214
6	Denmark	22.88	1.41	818
7	Estonia	5.51	2.00	381
8	France	259.05	1.80	924
9	Germany	200.77	1.35	602
10	Greece	177.6	1.72	551
11	Hungary	33.4	0.83	122
12	Iceland	0	0.13	37
13	Italy	230.55	1.69	529
14	Latvia	5.5	0.92	138
15	Lithuania	13.51	0.97	101
16	Luxembourg	0.90	0.60	402
17	Norway	29.1	1.40	1405
18	Poland	105	1.91	241
19	Portugal	44.9	1.29	442
20	Romania	93.6	1.29	116
21	Slovakia	26.2	1.12	183
22	Slovenia	9	1.18	274
23	Spain	177.95	0.86	267
24	Czech	57.05	1.08	202
25	Netherlands	53.13	1.27	612
26	Great Britain	187.97	2.49	908
27	USA	1477	4.35	2008
28	Türkiye	726	2.31	234
29	Montenegro	1.9	1.6	-

date	A country	Total number of members
1949	Belgium, Holland, France, Luxembourg, UK, USA, Canada, Portugal, Italy, Norway, Denmark, Iceland	12
1952	Greece, Türkiye	14
1955	Germany	15
1982	Spain	16
1999	Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland	19
2004	Estonia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia	26
year 2009	Albania, Croatia, France (re-joined military command structures)	28
2017	Montenegro	29

№	A country	Accelerated dialogue
1	Ukraine	Yes
2	Macedonia	No
3	Montenegro	No
4	Georgia	Yes
5	Bosnia and Herzegovina	No
6	Azerbaijan	No
7	Armenia	No
8	Kazakhstan	No
9	Moldova	No

NATO member countries agreed to adhere to the principles established by the Washington Treaty. Countries wishing to join the Alliance must go through a multi-stage process, including political dialogue and military integration, and also meet certain requirements, namely:

• resolve international disputes peacefully;
• demonstrate commitment to the principles of the rule of law and human rights;
• resolve interethnic conflicts and external territorial disputes, controversial issues of internal jurisdiction peacefully, in accordance with the principles of the OSCE and with the aim of striving to establish good neighborly relations;
• establish appropriate democratic and civilian control over its armed forces;
• refrain from the threat of force or the use of force in any manner inconsistent with the purposes of the UN;
• to promote peaceful and friendly international relations by strengthening its free institutions and by promoting stability and prosperity;
• continue to provide full support and participation in the work of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, the Partnership for Peace program and the development of cooperation with partner countries that are not NATO members;
• Demonstrate a commitment to promoting stability and prosperity through adherence to the principles of economic freedom, social justice and environmental responsibility;
• make a military contribution to collective defense and to the implementation of new tasks facing the Alliance, and also be ready to undertake obligations to gradually improve their defense capabilities;
• participate properly in the work of NATO institutions;
• strive to implement standardization and achieve interoperability;
• establish, through the national program, the necessary structure for the planning and implementation of such military budgets consistent with identified defense priorities and provide appropriate training schemes to familiarize personnel with existing NATO practices and procedures in preparation for possible future participation in the work of the alliance structures;
• become familiar with the relevant legal mechanisms and agreements that guide NATO's cooperation within its structure and the formal legal process that precedes membership.

NATO has signed a cooperation agreement with a number of European countries. The program of interaction with these countries is called “ Partnership for Peace" There are 22 non-NATO countries participating in this program. Cyprus is the only member of the European Union not participating in the program. Turkey, which does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus, is preventing this state from cooperating with NATO, since the conflict between the Turkish and Greek parts of Cyprus remains unresolved.

№	A country	Start of participation
1	Austria	February 1995
2	Azerbaijan	May 1994
3	Armenia	October 1994
4	Belarus	January 1995
5	Bosnia and Herzegovina	December 2006
6	Georgia	March 1994
7	Ireland	December 1999
8	Kazakhstan	May 1994
9	Kyrgyzstan	June 1994
10	Macedonia	November 1995
11	Malta	April 1995 (until October 1996); April 2008
12	Moldova	May 1994
13	Russia	June 1994, suspended since April 2014
14	Serbia	December 2006
15	Tajikistan	February 2002
16	Turkmenistan	May 1994
17	Ukraine	February 1994
18	Uzbekistan	July 1994
19	Finland	May 1994
20	Montenegro	December 2006
21	Switzerland	December 1996
22	Sweden	May 1994

The entire post-war period in the history of the Soviet Union passed under the sign of opposition to the military-political NATO bloc. The international situation is also very difficult for modern Russia. Therefore, there is reason to more carefully analyze the history and current state of this union. For the Russian Federation, it is of significant importance which countries are members of NATO and which states intend to join this structure. Despite the repeated assurances of the modern leadership of the North Atlantic Alliance that it does not see Russia among its enemies, the very fact of the existence of this Russian structure, to put it mildly, is not indifferent.

From the prehistory of the formation of military blocs in Europe

The most important prerequisite for the creation of the North Atlantic military bloc was the international situation that emerged after the end of World War II. The creation of this military-political structure was due to the polarization of forces and military-industrial potentials of countries that were divided into two large groups. Around the Soviet Union, which won the war in Eastern Europe, a whole belt of countries dependent on it, the so-called “socialist camp,” was formed. The countries of Western Europe felt an immediate threat from expansion from the east. This confronted them with the need for military-political integration to maintain the established post-war borders and preserve their sovereignty.

This balance of power gives the answer to the question of which countries are members of NATO. At the time of its formation, twelve countries joined the organization. These were states that did not enter the orbit of Soviet influence. They had no desire to be in it. Geographically, they were located outside the zone of influence of the Soviet Union. Of course, the Soviet point of view on the prehistory of the creation of the NATO bloc is diametrically opposed and is based on the assertion about the initially aggressive nature of the organization created in 1949 in Brussels. This explains the need to resist potential expansion from the west.

How it all began

The official date of formation of the military-political bloc is considered to be April 4, 1949. On this day, ten European states, the United States of America and Canada put their signatures on the North Atlantic Treaty. The European members of the alliance since its founding are: Great Britain, Belgium, France, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Denmark, Portugal and Italy.

NATO member countries have voluntarily accepted a number of international obligations. First of all, these include bringing the national armed forces of each participating state to common standards in weapons and equipment and subordinating them to a single command.

In addition, NATO countries have agreed on the size of each state's military budget, expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product. The leadership of the alliance announced the fundamental openness of the organization to the entry of new members into it. The most important principle of the existence of the North Atlantic military-political bloc is the obligation according to which NATO countries regard aggression against each of them as an attack on the entire alliance, with all military decisions ensuing from this situation. Subsequently, this principle proved its effectiveness. In the entire history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, no direct attacks on its members have been recorded. There was simply no one willing to test the strength of the most powerful military-political structure in the world.

Consequences of the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty

NATO countries occupy a fairly significant territory on the world map, and it is located in the northern part of the Atlantic, which is reflected in the name of the alliance. At the time of its formation, the military-political bloc included the most economically developed and politically significant states. The creation of the North Atlantic Alliance was of fundamental importance for the development of the entire civilization during the second half of the twentieth century.

In 1954, at an international meeting of foreign ministers in Berlin, the Soviet representative put forward a proposal to the NATO bloc on cooperation and interaction in maintaining peace and international stability. This proposal was rejected. The Soviet Union rightly assessed the activities of the North Atlantic military bloc as an immediate danger to its existence and was forced to take the necessary measures to repel potential aggression. They expressed themselves in the creation of the Warsaw Pact Organization, opposing the NATO bloc in all directions.

The entire subsequent period of European and world history is designated by the definition of “Cold War”. This war, fortunately, was not destined to enter the “hot” stage. Periods of its aggravation were several times replaced by a relaxation of tension. The so-called Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962 is considered to be the critical point of the Cold War. The confrontation between the Soviet Union and the NATO bloc at this point in time reached its culmination. In subsequent years, intense work was carried out to reduce international tension. A number of fundamental agreements were signed aimed at limiting the deployment of strategic nuclear weapons and reducing the level of confrontation between the North Atlantic Alliance Organization and the Warsaw Pact countries. But even after the signing of documents on nuclear disarmament, the power of the combined nuclear potential of both sides of the confrontation was sufficient to several times destroy all life on planet Earth.

Arms race

NATO countries confronted the Warsaw Pact states not only in the intended theater of military operations. The industrial potential of the countries included in the military blocs and the level of weapons production were of decisive importance in this confrontation. It is generally accepted that military expenditures are very burdensome for the budget and require savings on social programs. But the rapid development of weapons production technologies in the second half of the twentieth century, determined by the confrontation between two military-political systems, also had a positive significance. It is expressed in the growth of the industrial potential of countries participating in the arms race. And the countries that are members of NATO turned out to be winners in this competition. The Soviet economy turned out to be less efficient, which led to the collapse of both the Soviet Union and the military-political bloc of Warsaw Pact countries it led.

Even today, the weapons of NATO countries are unrivaled in most tactical and technical indicators. Among the indirect consequences of the arms race between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Soviet Union is such a twentieth-century phenomenon as space exploration. Initially, ballistic missiles were developed to deliver thermonuclear warheads to other continents. But today, space technologies have found the widest application in various fields: from the creation of information communication systems to scientific research in a wide range of areas.

Expansion of the North Atlantic Alliance

In order to correctly answer the question of which countries are members of NATO, first of all, it is necessary to clarify what period of time we are talking about. The fact is that the North Atlantic Alliance has gone through six stages during its existence, after which the number of countries party to the treaty increased. History has proven the effectiveness of this military-political bloc. Membership in it is attractive for its participants. In addition to international prestige, it guarantees security to all parties to the treaty.

Therefore, the map of NATO countries, which includes most of Europe and the two largest states of North America, is not stable. The territory of the countries that are members of the North Atlantic Alliance has a steady tendency to expand. This was especially evident at the beginning of the twenty-first century, when a significant number of independent states that were previously part of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia were formed on the European continent.

The process of integration into the alliance structure occurs gradually, in several stages. The decision to admit a country to membership in the organization is made by the NATO Council on the basis of consensus. That is, any of the organization’s member countries has the right to block the entry of new states into it. NATO member countries are required to meet a whole range of military, organizational and economic criteria. Therefore, candidates are prescribed a number of conditions that they must fulfill in order to join the organization - the so-called “Road Map”.

Its implementation is associated with significant difficulties and financial costs. Sometimes this lasts for a long time. Therefore, the question of how many countries are in NATO should only be asked in relation to a specific historical date. We should not forget about the states that are in the process of integration. This means that new NATO countries may soon emerge. As of 2014, there are 28 of them. And this figure cannot be considered final.

NATO allies

Not all states strive to become full members of the alliance. Some simply do not have sufficient economic and military potential for such membership. For a number of countries, the alliance’s charter provides for a special allied status and partnership programs. These states should not be included in the list when answering the question about which countries are members of NATO. They are not full members of the alliance. The degree of involvement in relations with NATO for different countries varies quite widely.

The principle of relations with allies is determined by the name of the program - “Partnership for Peace”. Relations with the North Atlantic Alliance help maintain stability in various regions. NATO countries and states included in the partnership program with them often carry out joint military operations to suppress flaring military conflicts.

Geographically, some of the members of the Partnership for Peace are located far beyond Europe. For example, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan. But the cooperation of these countries with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization helps maintain peace and stability in remote regions of the Eurasian continent. Many developing countries want to join this partnership program; it is beneficial for them both economically and militarily.

The beginning of the nineties of the twentieth century was marked by the collapse of communist regimes in a number of countries in Eastern Europe. Not only the Warsaw Pact Organization ceased to exist, but also the Soviet Union that led it. After its collapse, the world entered a new era of existence, without a split into opposing military-political blocs.

It would seem an obvious decision to think about the dissolution of the North Atlantic Alliance, as it has successfully completed its historical mission. However, nothing of the kind happened. The NATO bloc, whose countries felt like winners in a protracted Cold War, did not even think of dissolving itself. An attempt to raise this question for discussion was followed by a completely reasonable answer: why liquidate something in which so much money and effort was invested and which has proven its effectiveness?

The most important argument in favor of the continued existence of the North Atlantic Alliance was the role that this organization plays in maintaining European and world stability. The matter was further complicated by the fact that a fairly significant group of countries from the former socialist camp expressed a desire to integrate into the NATO structure and become its full members. Most of the new states expressed their intention to integrate into the system of the existing alliance. The composition of NATO countries was replenished in several stages with these newly formed states.

Russia and NATO

The Russian Federation, as the historical heir of the Soviet Union, was offered a special role in cooperation with the alliance. In May 1997, the Founding Act regulating Russia's relations with NATO was signed in Paris. According to this document, the alliance is obliged to inform the Russian Federation about the preparation of significant documents, but Russia does not have the right to veto decisions. Under the Partnership for Peace program, our country takes part in the alliance’s peacekeeping operations in Europe and around the world. NATO member countries are forced to reckon with the nuclear status of the Russian Federation.

In the socio-political field of Russian society, a negative attitude towards the North Atlantic military-political alliance prevails. This is due to the historical memory of several generations of Soviet people, in whose minds the armies of NATO countries were clearly identified with the forces of world evil. The image of the enemy has been formed over many years and decades, and the situation cannot be quickly changed by simple declamations that the alliance does not consider Russia its enemy. But looking at the total military-industrial potential of the North Atlantic bloc, it is difficult to find in the world another military force comparable in size against which this power is deployed. Therefore, the Russian Federation has reason to be suspicious of statements about the peace-loving nature of the alliance.

The situation is aggravated by the fact that new NATO member countries often come out with clearly expressed anti-Russian rhetoric. We are talking, first of all, about the countries of the Baltic region - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. And also about new NATO members from among the Eastern European states, primarily about Poland. The most important principle of the foreign policy of the Russian Federation over the past two decades has been opposition to the eastward expansion of the North Atlantic Alliance. But it was not possible to achieve much success in this - the map of NATO countries in 2014 indicates that the organization’s territory is approaching the western borders of Russia. The greatest failure of the foreign policy of the Russian Federation should be considered the increasingly flaring Ukrainian crisis, which broke out after this country outlined its vector of development towards the European Union with possible integration into NATO structures. It is impossible to predict the further development of these events. But there is currently an obvious escalation in tensions between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

List of NATO countries and features of the alliance structure

Currently, the North Atlantic bloc has reached the peak of its power. The total territory occupied by NATO countries is also maximum. For 2014 these are: Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, United States States of America, Turkey, France, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia. The official headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is located in the capital of Belgium - Brussels.

The alliance is currently headed by Anders Fogh Rasmussen. This is the twelfth Secretary General of NATO. The command system of the military-political bloc is structured into five headquarters. Their activities are divided both geographically and by branch of service. The headquarters oversee the Eastern, Western and Southern sectors of the Atlantic, as well as the Strike Fleet and the Allied Submarine Command.

The armies of NATO countries are subject to a single supranational command. Their regulations, equipment and weapons are brought to a single standard. Despite the fact that the basis of the combat power of the alliance countries is their thermonuclear potential, very great attention is paid to conventional weapons in NATO countries. This means that membership in the organization involves a fairly significant level of military expenses for its participants. The military budgets of NATO member states are approved by the leadership of the alliance.

Looking to the future

Attempts to predict the development of the European continent for many decades to come cannot be taken more seriously than an ordinary futurological forecast. But one thing is certain: the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will retain its importance and existence in the near and medium term. This structure has been tested by time and has managed to prove its effectiveness in ensuring stability and security on the continent. It is the key to successful economic and social development of the states participating in it. One of the most important trends in the development of the organization is the gradual shift of emphasis from military-political directions to humanitarian ones. In particular, to ensure the implementation of rescue operations when overcoming the consequences of significant natural and man-made disasters.

An equally important area of ​​effort for the alliance is countering all forms of terrorist and extremist manifestations. Figuratively speaking, NATO structures are a kind of power framework that ensures the existence of the so-called “pan-European home.”

We often hear the question of whether it is possible for the Russian Federation to integrate into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as a full member? It is difficult to give a definite answer to this question. We can only state with certainty that if this happens, it will not be very soon. However, the top leadership of the Russian Federation does not completely exclude such a possibility in the distant future. But today, against the backdrop of the aggravated international situation, it is not possible to talk about this.

NATO countries on the world map NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization (English) OTAN - Organization du traité de l "Atlantique Nord (French) NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Russian) The official languages ​​of NATO are English and French 2

NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is an alliance designed to protect not only the power of a particular country, but also the values ​​\u200b\u200bin which this power is placed in the service. NATO does not protect state sovereignty or someone’s geopolitical interests, but a certain type of human culture and civilization.

The NATO emblem is a white compass on a dark blue background. The circle symbolizes unity and cooperation, and the compass rose represents the common path to peace. It was adopted on October 4, 1953 by the North Atlantic Council as the official symbol of the North Atlantic Alliance, after which a flag-raising ceremony was held in Paris.

NATO NATO Headquarters The headquarters is located in Belgium, in the north-eastern part of Brussels, on Boulevard Léopold III, 1110 Brussels, Belgium. It houses delegations of member countries, liaison and interaction bureaus or diplomatic missions of partner countries. NATO Headquarters is the political and administrative center of the Alliance, where the main political decision-making body of NATO, the North Atlantic Council, is permanently located.

NATO structure North Atlantic Council (NATO Council) The highest political body of NATO which consists of representatives of all member states and holds its meetings under the chairmanship of the NATO Secretary General. The North Atlantic Council may meet at the level of foreign ministers and heads of state and government. Council decisions are made unanimously. During the period between sessions, the functions of the NATO Council are performed by the NATO Permanent Council, which includes representatives of all member countries of the bloc with the rank of ambassadors.

NATO structure NATO SECRETARY GENERAL The Secretary General is the chief official of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, having the status of an international civil servant. The Secretary General is responsible for leading the Alliance's consultation and decision-making process and Anders Fogh Rasmussen ensures that decisions are implemented. The Secretary General becomes The decision is made finally, a statesman of a NATO member country. when consensus is reached in Appointed by member countries on one candidate. For a four-year term. Countries nominate candidates for this position at the end of the four-year term and hold the tenure of the post. The informal diplomatic secretary general may be asked to consult with a view to selecting a suitable one to extend this term for another year. candidate

NATO STRATEGIC CONCEPT The new Strategic Concept, approved by Alliance members in 1999, defines NATO's primary objectives as follows: to serve as the basis for stability in the Euro-Atlantic region to serve as a forum for consultations on security issues to deter and defend against any threat of aggression against any of the NATO member states to promote effective conflict prevention and actively participate in crisis management to promote the development of comprehensive partnerships, cooperation and dialogue with other countries in the Euro-Atlantic region

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, the North Atlantic Alliance is the world's largest military-political bloc, uniting most European countries, the USA and Canada. Founded on April 4, 1949 in the USA. Then 12 countries became NATO member states - the USA, Canada, Iceland, Great Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Denmark, Italy and Portugal. It is a “transatlantic forum” for allied countries to consult on any issues affecting the vital interests of its members, including events that could threaten their security. One of NATO's declared goals is to provide deterrence or protection against any form of aggression against the territory of any NATO member state.

Goals In accordance with the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949, NATO aims to enhance stability and prosperity in the North Atlantic region. “The participating countries have joined forces to create collective defense and maintain peace and security.” According to a statement by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia S. Ryabkov, made in March 2009: “an analysis of the alliance’s activities ... allows us to note increased attention on the part of the bloc to problems outside the traditional zone of geographical responsibility. In essence, this is a claim to a global role... NATO in recent years, in practical terms, has been active far beyond its area of ​​​​responsibility and geographical boundaries.” He also noted that “in many NATO documents, especially after the bombing of Yugoslavia, the criteria for the use of force are formulated rather vaguely. In combination with the claim to a global role, this circumstance cannot remain outside the field of our attention and analysis.” NATO's 2010 Strategic Concept, Active Participation, Modern Defence, presents NATO's three most important missions - collective defence, crisis management and cooperative security

Structure. NATO is a grandiose military-political bloc of 28 states, possessing all the necessary infrastructure and a system of bodies for its management. These are hundreds of committees, groups, services, planning departments or divisions, military and civilian (transport, medical, etc.) and even training centers for the training and retraining of specialists. NATO is an intergovernmental organization whose members allocate the funds and resources necessary for its day-to-day functioning in accordance with the Treaty: holding meetings, preparing and making decisions, and implementing other tasks within the framework of the common interests of all members of the alliance. The bulk of military forces and military infrastructure belonging to NATO member states remain under their direct control and national command until such time as it becomes necessary to allocate them in whole (or in part) for specific military tasks under overall NATO command. Funding for the training and maintenance of national contingents comes from the budgets of the respective states. They bear all the costs of maintaining their missions to NATO and pay salaries to officers assigned to the alliance’s headquarters. The salaries of civil servants are paid from the NATO budget. All NATO programs are jointly financed by the states that participate in them.

The North Atlantic Treaty was signed on April 4, 1949 in Washington State. In March 1948, five Western European countries: year Since July 1966, France withdrew from the NATO military organization, remaining a participant in the political structure of the North Atlantic Treaty. In Belgium, Great Britain, Luxembourg, 2009 returned to all abandoned Netherlands and France signed the Brussels structure. Treaty and created a common defense system 1949 NATO does not have its own armed forces. All countries participating in the military organization NATO, in April, after negotiations with the United States and Canada on the creation, contributed their forces and equipment to a single North Atlantic Alliance, which was signed together by the Washington Treaty on Joint Defense. make up an integrated Joined by: Denmark, Iceland, Italy, the military structure of the Alliance. Canada, Norway, Portugal and the USA. Iceland is the only NATO member that does not have regular armed forces; this was one of the conditions for the country's entry into the organization. Iceland only has a coast guard. It was also decided to train Icelandic volunteers at bases in Norway to participate in NATO peacekeeping missions.

In 1952 and 1982, four more European states: l Greece l Turkey. Now there are already 26 countries in NATO and l Germany is considering applications from other countries to join this international organization. l Spain March 12, 1999 In 2004, NATO joined l. Latvia l. Lithuania l. Estonia l Poland l. Slovakia l Hungary l. Slovenia l Czech Republic l. Romania l. Bulgaria

In preparation for the war with the Axis of Evil, it makes sense to carry out the so-called “inventory”. Modern geopolitical challenges dictate new rules of the game, and we are returning again to the era of spheres of influence. But it should be understood that the sphere of influence does not simply mean friendly or neutral countries. Some political, financial, economic or military control over the satellites is necessary. In other words, the ability of a satellite, a vassal to protect the interests of the overlord.

Here and hereafter the Axis of Evil (AE) refers to the United States and its allies hostile to Russia. Who and to what extent has external influence, which is particularly expressed in the presence of military bases?

In order to somehow systematize the information and bring it into a single standard, external influence will be expressed in the presence of paramilitary groups of at least 150 people in permanent locations.

The article will NOT yet provide information on the coordinates, names and purposes of military bases, infrastructure, engineering structures and the availability of equipment and equipment. We're not going to seize military bases just yet, are we? It is important to understand the scale and geography of military base representation. Therefore, only the number of paramilitary groups.

Some clarifications. Military bases refer only to external ones. Those. a US military base located outside the US, and so on.

Usually group from 150 to 500 people solves problems of protecting embassies, important government institutions or persons, communication centers, radars, transport arteries (airports, highways), ammunition depots. Obviously, a group of this size cannot solve operational-tactical combat missions.

Group from 500 to 2 thousand people usually occupied with purely security and defensive functions of strategic objects (such as air defense systems, missile defense systems, nuclear facilities, various secret research centers and testing grounds).

Group from 2 thousand to 5 thousand. It's a little more serious here, it's more like a military base. As a rule, such a group is supplied with heavy weapons. But such numbers are insufficient for full-fledged combat missions, with the exception of special-purpose missions of limited use.

From 5 to 15 thousand. A rapid reaction group, ready to solve combat missions of a wide range, but exclusively of a local nature.

From 15 thousand to 50 thousand. A military base that is supplied with all types and types of weapons for the widest range of tasks, including offensive in nature against a relatively weak enemy, or for performing tasks in a state of siege in order to gain time to be able to fit additional equipment and manpower.

Another important note. The data does not take into account representatives of intelligence agencies and, accordingly, does not take into account undercover agents, infiltrators and double agents, although in fairness it is worth noting that The CIA has over 10 thousand embedded agents around the world. Also not taken into account private military companies. The United States has more than 50 thousand active militants from PMCs around the world, who are not US Army personnel, but represent US interests.

So here it is. Among the countries of the Axis of Evil, there are only three countries where the number of external paramilitary groups exceeds 10 thousand people combined across all bases. These are the USA, Great Britain and France.

Now the details.

The US has 258.5 thousand people around the world on military bases with more than 150 people in the selected region. In total, about 262 thousand people for all bases in all countries of the world.

More than 98% of the personnel are represented in the regions indicated in the table below (Europe in red, Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia in blue):

in the European region, the United States has a group of 75 thousand people (if Turkey is included), not counting support staff and supplies, which are represented by locals (85%). The most significant presence is in Germany (almost 50 thousand people). In Europe, the emphasis is on missile defense, air defense systems and air support.

Don't let such a small presence in the Middle East scare you. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have only 300 people each, Qatar about 600. The exception is Kuwait (23 thousand people), the military base was formed after the Iraq-Kuwait war of 1991 and as part of the strike against Iraq.

In general, the structure in the Middle East is completely different.

The CIA plays the main role there, not the Pentagon, and the region is filled with agents of all stripes. In the Middle East, the emphasis is on terrorist organizations (IS, Al Qaeda, Taliban). They are the ones who directly or indirectly represent US interests in the region.

The presence in Saudi Arabia consists of supplying weapons, instructors, training the local army, and assistance in reconnaissance and coordination.

Formally, the United States is not currently represented in Iraq, but there is a group of Iraqi army and local police there (under half a million for all structures), which are trained and supplied by the United States.

The fleet is NOT taken into account here. The main presence in the Middle East is in the US Navy, which is NOT an external base, but the fleet itself is almost always stationed there. The estimated number of people is over 15 thousand for all fleet units.

Those. The United States actively uses third forces in this region to solve its tactical and strategic problems. The goals and objectives of the US presence in the Middle East are (very briefly and schematically):
— control over oil and gas cash flows and supply routes;
- dominance in the Mediterranean, Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf;
— containment of Iran and Russia in the region, including the possibility of breaking a hole in the southern borders of Russia with the aim of expanding terrorists into Russia and setting fire to the Caucasus.

The United States is actively present in Japan and Korea (since the 50s of the last century, and little has changed here. There are full-fledged bases with a powerful air group, missile defense, air defense systems, radars and reconnaissance.

It is clear about Afghanistan being part of NATO. As for Egypt. There is not a military base there, but within the structure of the local national guard.

UK and France. The days of the former dominance of Great Britain and France are long over. 100 years ago these two countries had hundreds of colonies and hundreds of thousands of people present. Now colonies in Asia, Africa, Latin America have ceased to exist, as has the influence on them.

However, certain levers are present, but it is worth noting that only in primitive areas, devoid of any natural resources and without strategic importance in geopolitical games.

For example.

France is present in Chad, Gabon, Senegal, Ivory Coast, New Caledonia, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French West India, Mali, Djibouti and so on. Full list below.

With the exception of Djibouti and the Indian Ocean, many of these regions are not needed for nothing. Important trade flows do not pass through them, financial flows are not closed or generated in them, there are no natural resources there, they are not located near potential opponents, and so on. They represent neither economic nor political power. Essentially uninhabited islands and primitive communities.

Plus France, like Great Britain, is present within the coalition (Afghanistan, Lebanon, Serbia).

Do you feel the difference? What pieces did the USA grab for themselves and what did France and Great Britain get?!

Great Britain has at least 30 thousand people on external bases, of which more than 16 thousand are concentrated in Germany as part of the post-war division of Europe.

The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the southwest Atlantic Ocean (next to South America)

What about the other 25 EU countries? They are either insignificant to have their own bases, or they are prohibited (Germany, Italy, Spain).

Their entire presence is within the framework of the international coalition and is concentrated in Afghanistan, Lebanon and Serbia (Kosovo), plus Cyprus (for Greece and Turkey). These are not military bases, nothing to do with it. This is a presence on NATO and US infrastructure (with the exception of Cyprus) under direct orders from the US.

Sources: both open and closed, mainly from analyzes of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Geopolitical trends are set by the United States, they also unleash wars and conflicts. Great Britain and France are allowed to simulate independence on uninhabited islands. The rest of Europe and Canada are prohibited from engaging in geopolitics, from having any meaningful foreign policy, they are prohibited from having an independent army, and I am generally silent about national interests.

They are basically not independent and under the complete control of the United States. Their whole role is to be cannon fodder, an outpost in the implementation of US strategic interests.