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Ukraine: What is Nato and why doesn't Russia trust it? Ukraine conflict: What is Nato and how has it responded to Russia's invasion?
(about 20 hours later)
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is presenting Nato with one of the biggest challenges it has faced in its 73-year history.Russia's invasion of Ukraine is presenting Nato with one of the biggest challenges it has faced in its 73-year history.
The war is happening right on the eastern border of Nato territory and many members of the alliance fear that Russia might attack them next. The western alliance is sending extra troops to the Russian and Ukrainian borders but has no plans to get involved in the current conflict.
Nato - which includes the US, the UK, France and Germany - is moving extra troops to eastern Europe.
However, the UK and US have said there are no plans to send troops into Ukraine.
What is Nato?What is Nato?
Nato - the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation - is a military alliance formed in 1949 by 12 countries, including the US, Canada, the UK and France. Nato - the North Atlantic Treaty Organization - is a military alliance formed in 1949 by 12 countries, including the US, Canada, the UK and France.
Members agree to come to one another's aid in the event of an armed attack against any one member state.Members agree to come to one another's aid in the event of an armed attack against any one member state.
Its aim was originally to counter the threat of post-war Russian expansion in Europe.Its aim was originally to counter the threat of post-war Russian expansion in Europe.
In 1955 Soviet Russia responded to Nato by creating its own military alliance of eastern European communist countries, called the Warsaw Pact.In 1955 Soviet Russia responded to Nato by creating its own military alliance of eastern European communist countries, called the Warsaw Pact.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, a number of former Warsaw Pact countries switched sides and became Nato members. The alliance now has 30 members.Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, a number of former Warsaw Pact countries switched sides and became Nato members. The alliance now has 30 members.
Is Russia preparing to invade Ukraine? What is Nato and how is it responding to the Ukraine crisis?
China joins Russia in opposing Nato expansionChina joins Russia in opposing Nato expansion
What is Russia's current issue with Nato and Ukraine? Why is Nato not planning to intervene in Ukraine?
Ukraine is a former Soviet republic bordering both Russia and the EU. Ukraine is not a member of Nato, so the alliance is not obliged to come to its defence.
It has a large population of ethnic Russians and close social and cultural ties to Russia. Strategically, the Kremlin sees it as Russia's backyard, and Russian president Vladimir Putin said recently that Ukraine is really part of Russia. The former Soviet republic has wanted to join for several years, but this was met by fierce opposition from the Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who said recently that Ukraine is really part of Russia.
However, Ukraine has been looking more to the West in recent years. Its aims to join the EU and Nato are written in its constitution. Indeed, one of Russia's grievances before the invasion was that Ukraine should never be allowed to join Nato - something the alliance refused to agree to.
It is currently a Nato "partner country". This means there is an understanding that Ukraine may be allowed to join the alliance sometime in the future. Nato's secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, has condemned the invasion as a "brutal act of war".
Russia wants assurances from Western powers that this will never happen. In response to concerns from members in eastern Europe, Nato has already put hundreds of warplanes and ships on alert and will be increasing troop numbers in the region.
However, the US and its allies are refusing to bar Ukraine from Nato, saying that as a sovereign nation it should be free to decide on its own security alliances. The US has also committed to sending more troops to the region, but President Biden has made clear that they will be defending existing Nato territory, not fighting in Ukraine itself.
What else is Russia concerned about? What presence does Nato have on its eastern European border?
President Putin claims Western powers are using the alliance to encroach on Russia, and he wants Nato to cease its military activities in eastern Europe. Nato already has troops stretching from the Baltic republics in the north to Romania in the south.
He has long argued the US broke a guarantee it made in 1990 that Nato would not expand eastwards. The US says it made no such promise. They were stationed there in 2014 after Russia's annexation of Crimea and are designed to act as a "tripwire" in case of a Russian attack.
Nato says only a small number of its member states share borders with Russia, and that it is a defensive alliance. It has naval vessels patrolling the eastern Mediterranean and aircraft "air policing" along its borders with Russia.
What has Nato done in the past about Russia and Ukraine? Nato has four multinational battalion-size battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, and a multinational brigade in Romania.
Shortly after Ukrainians deposed their pro-Russian president in early 2014, Russia annexed Ukraine's southern Crimean peninsula. It also backed pro-Russian separatists who captured large swathes of eastern Ukraine. France has also offered to be the lead nation of a future Nato mission in Romania, which could involve about 1,000 troops from various countries.
Nato did not intervene, but it did respond by placing allied troops in several eastern European countries for the first time. These forces are designed to be a "tripwire" in case Russia invades Nato territory. Nato could send anything up to 40,000 troops from the Nato Response Force, setting up extra battlegroups in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia.
Since Russia's annexation of Crimea, Nato has put battle groups in eastern Europe How did Nato step up defences before the conflict?
It has four multinational battalion-size battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, and a multinational brigade in Romania. In the months leading up to the conflict, the US sent nearly 3,000 extra troops to Poland and Romania to reinforce Nato's eastern borders, and put another 8,500 combat-ready troops on alert.
It has also expanded its air policing in the Baltic states and eastern Europe to intercept any Russian aircraft which breach the borders of member states. The US also sent weapons worth $200m to Ukraine, including Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, and allowed other Nato countries to supply Ukraine with US-made weapons.
Russia has said it wants these forces out. The UK sent 350 more troops to Poland and doubled its strength in Estonia with an extra 900 troops. It also supplied Ukraine with 2,000 short-range anti-tank missiles.
What has Nato done in the present crisis?
The United States has sent nearly 3,000 extra troops to Poland and Romania to reinforce Nato's eastern borders, and put another 8,500 combat-ready troops on alert (there are no plans to deploy any troops in Ukraine itself).
It has also sent weapons worth $200m including Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, and allowed other Nato countries to supply US-made weapons to Ukraine.
The UK has supplied Ukraine with 2,000 short-range anti-tank missiles, sent 350 more troops to Poland and doubled its strength in Estonia with an extra 900 troops.
Nato has stepped up its military defences in eastern EuropeNato has stepped up its military defences in eastern Europe
It has sent more RAF jets to southern Europe and a Royal Navy vessel to patrol the eastern Mediterranean alongside other Nato warships. It sent more RAF jets to southern Europe and a Royal Navy vessel to patrol the eastern Mediterranean alongside other Nato warships.
It has also ordered 1,000 troops to be in a state of readiness to provide support in the event of a humanitarian crisis caused by a Russian invasion of Ukraine. It ordered 1,000 troops to be in a state of readiness to provide support in the event of a humanitarian crisis caused by a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Denmark, Spain, France and the Netherlands, have also sent fighter jets and warships to eastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. Denmark, Spain, France and the Netherlands, also sent fighter jets and warships to eastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean.
What is Nato preparing to do now?
Nato is putting hundreds of warplanes and ships on alert and will be increasing troop numbers on its borders with Russia and Ukraine.
It could activate its Response Force, which comprises anywhere up to 40,000 troops, and it could set up extra battlegroups in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia similar to the ones it already has in Poland and the Baltic Republics.