The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was established by the United States in 1949 as a “collective security” bloc.

NATO has experienced nine waves of expansion since it started with 12 members, with previously non-aligned Sweden joining the bloc on March 7, 2024.

Although NATO casts itself as a purely defensive bloc, history has shown otherwise.

This alliance was established to deter alleged Soviet expansion, yet after the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, NATO did not cease to exist. Despite promises given to late Soviet leaders by the US, NATO proceeded to expand eastward and encircle Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently admitted that he had a “naive idea” that after the end of the Cold War, the West and NATO had “no basis for confrontation with Russia”. However, after years of diplomatic efforts, Putin became “100% convinced” that NATO strategists want to “collapse Russia”.

Source: Sputnik International

Infographic by Sputnik.