Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) on July 9 in Washington DC sends a clear message that the world with be further polarised and the conflict with Russia and China will deepen with the passage of time.

From 12 members in 1949 to 32 in 2024, the expansion and enlargement of Nato means the US and its key western allies want to revert back to Cold War politics. Invincibility of Nato to deal with security threats from Russia and China is however a myth and not a reality because the world is fast transforming from unipolar to multipolar.

Speaking on the occasion of Nato’s 75th anniversary, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: “Nato is “not only the most successful and strongest, but also the longest-lasting Alliance in history. There are no cost-free options with an aggressive Russia as a neighbor; there are no risk-free options in a war. The time to stand for freedom and democracy is now; the place is Ukraine. The alliance will continue to face difficult questions in the future.”

Given the disintegration of the Warsaw Pact — the Communist alliance in Eastern Europe led by the then Soviet Union — in 1991, the survival and strengthening of Nato appears amazing. Nato not only survived and consolidated its position, it also expanded by including former members of the Warsaw Pact and the neighbours of Russia.

Moscow’s alarm and insecurity vis-à-vis an expansionist Nato with belligerent and aggressive policy of containing Russia prompted its attack over Ukraine in February 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin made it clear that his country will not allow any hostile presence in its neighborhood. Even then, the US-led Nato sustained its........

© The Express Tribune