The Rise and Failure of NATO, Where Are They When You Need Them?

To understand the failure NATO is in right now, we must look way back. Back decades to see why NATO was created and how it is failing. NATO was supposed to be the unformidable force to fight if Europe’s peace was ever threatened by Russia. That doesn’t seem to be what they are doing…

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization , otherwise referred to as NATO, was founded on April 4, 1949. It was created in the Aftermath of World War II, a conflict which killed approximately 36.5 million Europeans. It was created to make sure the then powerful Soviet Union and it’s strong Red Army were to not make any war moves in Europe and to ensure peace and stability in the region.

The remaining democratic countries of Europe banded together into the biggest joint military operation ever. In Article 5 of the NATO treaty, it states,”An armed attack on one or more of us… shall be considered an attack against us all”, this is very important for later. 

After the fall of the Berlin wall on November 9, 1989, and the seemingly slow collapse of the Soviet Union, the unspoken rules of NATO still stood. To deter the rise of militant nationalism and to set the foundation for secure democratization and political integration of Europe. The only thing that changed was their definition of Europe now meant more eastward. 

After the collapse of the Soviet Union it turned more into a security force than anything, as they thought the then democratic Russia surely couldn’t change. Then on May 7, 2012 that all changed with the inauguration of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Vladimir Putin created a threatening force in Europe. From early in his presidency he made military moves against one big target in particular. 

Starting in early 2014 the Ukro-Russian war began when Putin supplied Kremlin sympathizing separatists with weapons of war. The fighting of Russian-backed separatists has been dragging on for years, and the only thing that NATO has been doing is sanctions, which at that point was the only thing they could do, until now.

In mid-December of 2021 Russian President Vladmir Putin issued a list of demands, including Ukraine not being allowed to join NATO and the reduction of NATO forces at the border. Then the wave of sanctions started streaming in. In early February, US President Joe Biden issued troops into Ukraines neighboring NATO allied countries Poland and Romania. Then on February 24, 2022, war broke out in eastern europe.

After one day of fighting the death toll has already risen to 137 dead Ukranians and 316 wounded as reported by the Independent. This includes soldiers and civilians according to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

This is where NATO should step in and help, right? There is a threat to democracy in Europe’s dining room afterall. Well apparently not. You know how I meantioned an attack on one is an attack on us all and their unwritten rule of protecting democracy? Well throw that out the window cause it’s gone. Vladimir Putin is the biggest threat to democracy in Europe since Adolf Hitler, the German Fuhrer during World War II. NATO has only met Russia with sanctions that are meant to scare or deter them. That is the opposite of what they are doing. They are helping to awake the sleeping giant known as Russia. They have been building for years and finally they get to flex their muscles and say what’s up.

We are standing by and doing nothing in the wake of this conflict. And if we continue to do nothing, Russia will continue to attack. If they take Ukraine with only sanctions then they are going to hit another country. Last time we appeased a power like this it broke into the bloodiest war known to mankind. And this is going to be worse on an unimaginable scale.