The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) celebrated the 75th anniversary of its foundation yesterday in Brussels. Then it was composed of twelve members. Now there are thirty-two. The last to enter were Sweden and Finland. And what could be number 33, Ukraine, remains on hold. The Atlantic Alliance blew out the candles yesterday with the warning that unity must be maintained and with the awareness that the United States and Europe continue to need each other.
The Washington treaty was signed in a different world than today and the club expanded with new members as the cold war progressed, its great raison d’être. But when the accusations of being an organization that no longer had a direction were growing, the war in Ukraine has meant a drastic turn for the organization. It has admitted two historically neutral countries, with which all of northern Europe is within the organization.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on allies to preserve unity with the message that the United States and Europe, when allied, are always stronger. “European allies bring world-class militaries, vast intelligence that works, and unique diplomatic influence that multiplies American power,” he said. As a result, the United States “has more friends and more allies than any other great power.”
“I don’t believe in the United States alone – the Norwegian politician continued – just as I don’t believe in Europe alone. I believe in the United States and Europe together in NATO, because together we are stronger and we are safer”, defended Stoltenberg on what will, predictably, be his last anniversary as Secretary General.
Stoltenberg also recalled the role of the alliance not only in the years of the Cold War, with the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 or the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. He also highlighted its role during “the brutal ethnic conflicts in Balkans”, with reference to the intervention in Serbia in 1999 to prevent a genocide in Kosovo, as was argued, but which was not always well understood. Later, with the attacks of September 11, 2001, Article 5 was activated for the first time, for collective defense. In memory of that tragic event, there is a piece of the Twin Towers at the organization’s new headquarters.
The ceremony was held at the headquarters of NATO, in which there was a chocolate cake with the logo of the organization and the original Washington treaty that, for the first time, went expressly from the northern capital- American to Brussels, escorted and heavily guarded. It also featured the music of the Royal Bands of the Belgian Air Force and the Dutch Navy, who played the anthem of the Alliance. Earlier, they paid tribute to those who fell in NATO missions.
But the celebration was measured, with a war in Europe for two years, and with the warning that this conflict poses an existential threat to the continent; nor was there much room for great pomp. Ukraine has been patiently waiting for its turn for years, hoping to have a formal invitation for which there is no date yet. The lack of preparation, by Alliance standards, and the obvious current conflict make it difficult.
Kyiv and other closer countries hope that this rapprochement will materialize at the July summit in Washington. The Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, was confident that the country “will be a member of NATO”. “Our goal is to create a bridge at the summit for their entry”, he pointed out.
Foreign ministers met yesterday at the NATO-Ukraine Council, which was attended by his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmitró Kuleba, who asked for more Patriot anti-missile defense systems in the face of constant Russian attacks and fears that a new campaign in the spring. “I don’t want to spoil the birthday party, but my main message today will be: Patriot, because saving Ukrainian lives, saving the Ukrainian economy and saving Ukrainian cities depends on the capability of the Patriot and other air defense systems,” assured the minister.
As Kuleba and Stoltenberg themselves confirmed after the meeting, the allies are ready to meet the request. The Norwegian advanced that the countries “will look at the inventories or if there is some way so that they can provide more systems, in particular Patriot”, he indicated. Stoltenberg added that several allies promised that they will make “an effort to find what they can, to see what else they can provide.”
Another problem is that Ukraine needs ammunition, and therefore, according to Stoltenberg, “it is necessary to ensure that the air defense systems already deployed have the ammunition and spare parts to function”. The Secretary General admitted that the situation on the battlefield is “serious” and that is why more needs to be done. “Ukraine needs more air defenses, more ammunition and more aid,” he stressed. “The Ukrainians do not lack courage, they lack ammunition”, he assured.
The Secretary General noted that several countries have announced new shipments to Ukraine in recent days. Among these states, Germany stands out (which is at the head of the European countries that have sent the most support), with nearly 600 million euros for the Czech plan to acquire new ammunition. The United Kingdom has announced the delivery of 10,000 drones, and Finland will send a new aid package of 188 million euros.
