North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)

28-03-2025

07:30 AM

1 min read

Prelims: Current Affairs & Events

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North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Latest News

NATO Clarifies Statement on Missing U.S. Soldiers in Lithuania

Why in the News?

NATO clarified its earlier statement regarding the status of four missing U.S. soldiers in Lithuania, emphasising that "the search is ongoing."
Initial confusion arose when NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte suggested that the soldiers had died. Still, later, NATO stated that Rutte was referring to unverified news reports rather than confirming their fate.
The soldiers were part of the U.S. Army’s 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, conducting training exercises near Pabradė, Lithuania, close to the Belarus border.
Their armored vehicle was found submerged in water, and recovery efforts are underway.

Geopolitical Context

Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are NATO members with tense relations with Russia and Belarus.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (2022) has further strained regional security dynamics, increasing military exercises and NATO presence in the Baltic region.
Belarus, a close ally of Russia, shares borders with Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland, making NATO operations in these areas strategically significant.

About NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

Aspect	Details
Founded	1949, with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty (Washington Treaty) to counter Soviet expansion in post-World War II Europe.
Headquarters	Brussels, Belgium
Nature	Military & political alliance of 32 countries from Europe & North America.
Core Principle	Collective Defense (Article 5): An attack on one NATO country is considered an attack on all. Invoked only once after the 9/11 attacks (2001).
Founding Members (12)	Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, UK, USA.
Latest Expansion	Finland joined NATO in 2023.
Ukraine's NATO Bid	Applied in 2022, received security assurances at Vilnius Summit (2023).
Non-NATO EU Members	Austria, Cyprus, Ireland, and Malta.

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) FAQs

Q1. What is NATO?
Ans. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is a military alliance formed in 1949 to ensure collective security among its member states.

Q2. How many countries are part of NATO?
Ans. NATO currently has 32 member states, including the USA, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, and most of Europe.

Q3. What is NATO’s collective defense principle?
Ans. Article 5 of the NATO treaty states that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all members, ensuring mutual defense.

Q4. Is India a member of NATO?
Ans. No, India is not a member of NATO but engages with NATO on strategic and security issues through diplomatic channels.

Source: TH