What is Nato, why isn’t Ukraine a member and what has Trump said?…… Read more
US President Donald Trump has said it is unlikely Ukraine will join Nato, the military alliance.
The remarks came as Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
US defence secretary Pete Hesgeth called on Nato’s European members to spend much more on defence, saying they would have to provide the “overwhelming” share of military funding for Ukraine.
What is Nato and why was it set up?
Nato – the North Atlantic Treaty Organization – was formed in Washington DC in 1949 by 12 countries: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the UK and the US.
Nato’s primary purpose, external was to block expansion in Europe by the former Soviet Union – a group of communist republics which included Russia.
Members agree that if one of them is attacked, the others should help defend it., external
Nato does not have its own army, but member states can take collective military action in response to crises.
For instance, the body supported the UN by intervening in the war in the former Yugoslavia between 1992 and 2004.
It also co-ordinates military plans and carries out joint military exercises., external
Which countries are Nato members?
Nato has 32 members across Europe and North America – the original 12 founders plus 20 countries which have joined since 1949.
After the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, many Eastern European countries became members, including Albania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
Finland – which has a 1,340km (832 mile) land border with Russia – joined in April 2023. Sweden became a member in March 2024.
Having been neutral for decades, both applied to Nato in May 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia have also asked to join.
Why isn’t Ukraine a Nato member?
Russia has consistently opposed the idea of Ukraine becoming a member, fearing it would bring Nato forces too close to its borders.
However, in 2008, the alliance said that Ukraine could eventually join.
After Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked for this process to be fast-tracked.
Former Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine could join “in the long term” but not until after the war ended.
However, speaking at a defence summit in Brussels in February, Hegseth said “the US does not believe that Nato membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement”.
Some Nato defence chiefs have pushed back.
German defence minister Boris Pistorius said “he regretted” the decision to rule out Ukraine joining Nato without a wider discussion. Sweden’s defence minister Pal Jonson insisted membership was “not off the table”.
How much do Nato members spend on defence?
In January, Trump urged Nato’s European members to spend 5% of their national income on defence, external, telling reporters: “They can all afford it.”
Hegseth has echoed this call, saying the US would no longer “tolerate an imbalanced relationship” with its allies.
Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte has also urged member states to boost their defence spending.
The alliance currently asks countries to spend at least 2% of national income – also known as GDP.
It is thought that 23 countries met that target in 2024, compared to only three in 2014.
The countries which spend the largest share of GDP on defence are the US and those close to Russia, such as Poland and the Baltic states.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said that the UK will increase its defence spending to 2.5% of GDP.
How are Nato countries helping Ukraine?
Nato has described Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as the “most significant and direct threat to allies’ security”., external
The alliance has not sent troops to Ukraine or enforced a no-fly zone over the country for fear of being pulled into a direct conflict with Russia.
However, individual member states have supplied arms and equipment.
German research organisation the Kiel Institute, external said that under former President Joe Biden, the US had allocated 59.9bn euros (£49.7bn) for military support to Ukraine between February 2022 and October 2024.
European Nato members provided 52.6bn euros (£43.7bn) over the same period.
The US, UK, Germany and Turkey and others have sent anti-tank weapons, missile defence systems such as Patriot, artillery guns, tanks and drones.
The US, UK and France have also supplied long-range missiles such as Atacms and Storm Shadow/Scalp.
In August 2024, Ukraine received two US-made F16 fighter jets – the first of more than 60 pledged by Nato member states.
Since November 2024, the US and UK have allowed Ukraine to use their missiles to hit targets within Russian territory.
Hegseth has suggested the US will significantly scale back its support for Ukraine, and that European nations will have to provide the majority of military aid.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK had “heard a clear message from the US about stepping up and we are”. He highlighted a new £150m package which includes drones, tanks and air defence systems.
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