What is NATO

Competing historical mythologies underpin the British left's spats over Russia's invasion. As Russian missiles fall on Ukraine, an organisation named 'Stop ...

Does it involve economic sanctions (that have civilian victims) and the sending of weapons to a warzone, coordinated through an inherited Atlantic alliance that has its own murky history? Attlee became Labour leader in 1935 after his ally Ernest Bevin publicly savaged Attlee’s predecessor, George Lansbury, for ‘hawking his conscience’ by refusing to impose sanctions on the Italian fascist Mussolini after his invasion of Ethiopia. Putin’s own invasion makes it burningly relevant today. On the surface, this was a policy dispute over the UK’s diplomatic and military response to the emerging Russian-Ukrainian crisis. In the build up to Russia’s invasion, the government took a tough rhetorical stance against Putin and imposed sanctions. Despite that, Stop the War doubled down. As Russian missiles fall on Ukraine, an organisation named ‘Stop the War’ has become a focal point of controversy in the febrile world of the British left.

NATO chief Stoltenberg says alliance is also beefing up arms support to Kyiv and reinforcing defences on allied areas.

Some of NATO’s 30 member countries are supplying arms, ammunition and other equipment to Ukraine, but NATO as an organisation is not. “We will make all deployments necessary to ensure strong and credible deterrence and defense across the alliance, now and in the future.” We are now deploying the NATO response force for the first time in the context of collective defence,” he said.

Russia has shattered peace in Europe. The people of Ukraine are fighting for their freedom in the face of Russia's unprovoked invasion. We deplore the tragic ...

That was the message from the NATO leaders in the Summit today, is that we are there to protect and defend all Allies. NATO is the strongest military Alliance in the world. NATO Secretary General: Well, some of these forces are already operating, because we have sea and air forces, which are also already part of the NATO maritime forces operating from the Barents Sea down to the Mediterranean. Some are air forces, the air component of the NATO Response Force. And then some of the land forces are… First, you are a statistician and so far with regard the risk, you have already evaluate the risk and the threat against NATO coming from Russia. Particularly you foresee the playbook of Russia. And so, my first question is, what is the risk that this conflict spread? They are close to this, the fighting in Ukraine. And they also border Russia. And they have seen not only the military build-up and the ongoing war in Ukraine, but also seen the very threatening rhetoric. So what we have, what we see is that Russia shows no respect for the NATO-Russia Founding Act. And, of course, if you have a Founding Act between two partners, NATO and Russia, and one part doesn't respect that agreement, the agreement doesn't work. The NATO-Russia Founding Act is based on some core principles enshrined in the Founding Act. And that is the respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries, including, of course, Ukraine. And this has been violated not once, but twice. And also what has changed in your calculation about the threat to NATO territory that has led Allies to make the decision to deploy this for the first time in history, for the purposes of collective defence? And that's reason why we so clearly send the message that we are there to protect all Allies and every inch of NATO territory. Both the protection of our cyber networks but also providing support to Ukraine. And we are very focused on the need for de-confliction. NATO Secretary General: So NATO Allies continue to provide support to Ukraine. And it was actually at the meeting today, at the NATO Summit with EU and Finland and Sweden, Allies announced and also informed all the Allies about the type of weapons, the type of support. And this is the most serious security crisis we have faced in Europe for decades. NATO Allies expressed at the Summit today that they provide support to Ukraine. They are ready to continue to provide support to Ukraine. Military support, financial support, humanitarian support.