22 NOVEMBER 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL The Alliance did not go out of business after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet empire, as many skeptics recommended at the time. Instead, NATO went “out of area” to end the civil wars and ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia, and it joined the global war against terrorism after the United States was attacked on 9/11—the only time Allies invoked Article 5. Thanks to the vision of American and European leaders, NATO also became a key instrument for overcoming the division of Europe imposed by Stalin at the Yalta Summit in 1945. NATO laid the basis for a “Europe whole and free” after 1989 through partnership and admission of new members from the former Soviet bloc. During all this time, NATO sought a strategic partnership with Russia as part of an integrated European security system. It will be a long time before Russia can again be considered a partner of the West and NATO. In attempting to change Ukraine’s borders by force and erase it from the map as a sovereign state, Putin’s Russia has dealt a serious blow to the European order that has underpinned peace and security since the end of World War II. Helping Kyiv defeat Russia in Ukraine is essential if the European security order is to recover. Even a partial win for Putin would be dangerous and encourage other despots to attack their neighbors. Fortunately, our allies have stepped up since Russia’s initial aggression in 2014 and its full-scale invasion in 2022. Twentythree of today’s 32 Allies now meet or exceed the 2 percent-ofGDP goal for defense spending adopted in 2014. And they have substantially increased the size and readiness of NATO forces on NATO’s eastern flank, pledging to defend “every inch” of Allied territory, including that of new members Finland and Sweden. Allies have provided military and economic support to Ukraine on a par with the United States, showing the continuing value of having like-minded allies ready to share the burdens of defense and security. At this year’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington, D.C., NATO members took additional measures— both collectively and bilaterally—to expand defense assistance to Ukraine, increase its interoperability with NATO forces, and help it develop a strong industrial base. These and other summit deliverables will constitute a solid bridge on which to expedite Ukraine’s future membership in NATO. In this regard, Allies understand that long-term peace and stability and security in Europe can be assured only when Ukraine has the capacity to defeat today’s Russian aggression While the threats to NATO security have changed over the past 75 years, the purpose, values, and founding principles of the Alliance have not. —Ambassador Alexander Vershbow and deter Moscow from ever attacking again, underpinned by the protection of NATO’s Article 5 guarantee. Russia is the most immediate challenge facing NATO, but it’s not the only one. At the recent summit, Allies reaffirmed the need for NATO to multitask and address the multiple threats along its other borders—such as international terrorist groups, instability, failing states, and irregular migration. They understand that NATO must do its part to meet the increasingly global challenge from a rising China that is aligned with other revisionist powers and, like Russia, seeks to overturn the rulesbased order. All these challenges make NATO more important than ever in safeguarding the freedom and prosperity of its 32 members and the dozens of partners from beyond Europe who seek to strengthen their security through cooperation with NATO. Alexander Vershbow joined the Foreign Service in 1977. He was Deputy Secretary General of NATO from 2012 to 2016, the rst American to hold the position. Earlier postings included assistant secretary of Defense for international security a airs (2009-2012); special assistant to the president and senior director for European a airs at the National Security Council (1994-1997); U.S. ambassador to NATO (1997-2001), to Russia (2001-2005), and to the Republic of Korea (2005-2008); and State Department director of the O ce of Soviet Union A airs (1988-1991). He is now an Atlantic Council Distinguished Fellow.
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