SAYATA

Mission of NATO: Article Five of the treaty states that if an armed attack occurs against one of the member states, it should be considered an attack against all members, and other members shall assist the attacked member, with armed forces if necessary.

Here are the current members of NATO:

April 4, 1949

Belgium
Canada
Denmark
France - France withdrew from the integrated military command in 1966 to pursue an independent defence system but returned to full membership on April 4, 2009.
Iceland - Iceland, the sole member that does not have its own standing army, joined on the condition that it would not be expected to establish one. However, its strategic geographic position in the Atlantic made it an invaluable member. It has a Coast Guard and has recently provided troops trained in Norway for NATO peacekeeping.
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Norway
Portugal
United Kingdom
United States

18 February 1952

Greece Greece withdrew its forces from NATO’s military command structure from 1974 to 1980 as a result of Greco-Turkish tensions following the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
Turkey

9 May 1955

Germany Joined as West Germany; Saarland reunited with it in 1957 and the territories of Berlin and the former German Democratic Republic reunited with it on 3 October 1990. The GDR was a member of the rival Warsaw Pact 1956-1990.

30 May 1982

Spain

12 March 1999

Czech Republic Member of the rival Warsaw Pact 1955-1991 as part of Czechoslovakia.
Hungary Member of the rival Warsaw Pact 1955-1991.
Poland Member of the rival Warsaw Pact 1955-1991.

29 March 2004

Bulgaria Member of the rival Warsaw Pact 1955-1991.
Estonia Member of the rival Warsaw Pact 1955-1991 as part of the Soviet Union.
Latvia Member of the rival Warsaw Pact 1955-1991 as part of the Soviet Union.
Lithuania Member of the rival Warsaw Pact 1955-1991 as part of the Soviet Union.
Romania Member of the rival Warsaw Pact 1955-1991.
Slovakia Member of the rival Warsaw Pact 1955-1991 as part of Czechoslovakia.
Slovenia Previously part of Yugoslavia 1945-1991 (Non-aligned)

1 April 2009

Albania Member of the rival Warsaw Pact 1955-1968.
Croatia Previously part of Yugoslavia 1945-1991 (Non-aligned)

_______

Will Russia Ever Become Part of NATO

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned Ukraine over its plans to join NATO and said Russia would transfer its space and hi-tech facilities to domestic soil, if the ex-Soviet republic enters the alliance.
In televised remarks, following a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in Moscow, Putin said Ukraine would have to invest considerable funds to retool its arms industry to produce weapons according to NATO standards.

Back in 1991 when Yeltsin was pushing a great change in Russia it was his ambition for Russia to someday join NATO. In his letter, Mr. Yeltsin said: "This will contribute to creating a climate of mutual understanding and trust, strengthening stability and cooperation on the European continent. We consider these relations to be very serious and wish to develop this dialogue in each and every direction, both on the political and military levels. Today we are raising a question of Russia's membership in NATO, however regarding it as a long-term political aim."

Back in 2000, even Putin argued that Russia should join NATO. Asked whether Russia could join NATO, Putin told British Broadcasting Corp. interviewer Sir David Frost: "I don't see why not. I wouldn't rule out such a possibility. But I repeat - if and when Russia's views are taken into account as an equal partner." The interview was broadcast Sunday and picked up by Russia's main networks. But then Putin received massive criticism from Russian Nationalist. He backed down from what he was saying, and became a critic of other East Block Nations joining NATO. Just 2 years after his 2000 statements, in 2002 Putin started saying in that Russia will never join NATO.

So by the end of 2011 can anyone imagine Russia joining NATO. The answer probably rest with the Ukraine. Will Russia convince the Ukraine not to join NATO or will suddenly the Ukraine cause Putin to see there is much to be gained if Russia joins at the same time the Ukraine joins NATO. It is not like Putin has not considered joining NATO in the past.

Would Russia Joining NATO be a good, bad, weird, or dangerous thing?

See Poll:
http://sayata.com/mag/node/795

(You may vote anonymous.)