Is NATO stronger after Ukraine invasion?
- Leaders of NATO are Meeting in Madrid amidst the continuing war in Ukraine to decide on integrating Sweden and Finland into NATO.
Status of NATO
- Before the Ukraine war
- NATO appeared to be weakened
- Former U.S. President Donald Trump, frequently asked members to contribute higher amounts to use U.S.’s protective umbrella threatening NATO’s unity and solidarity.
- Unilateral decision of U.S. to pull out of Afghanistan undermined collective spirit of NATO.
- During the course of Ukraine war:
- Strengthened the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
- NATO allies committed to finance organisation’s military needs.
- Their combined defence investments have increased.
Challenges to NATO:
- Pressures from rising inflation and high energy and food prices even as they have had to finance weaponry and critical war supplies to Ukraine.
- Destabilising economic ripple effects of the war in Ukraine would be hard for the member nations of NATO to bear.
- This could undermine the unity of NATO.
What happens next?
- NATO appears fortified and ready to face Russia, there is a real risk that the member-nations are getting increasingly frustrated.
- Unending economic pain to meet the burgeoning demand for weapons and other military support required by Ukraine to hold on to its territories in the east.