On April 4, 1949, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Portugal signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C., thereby establishing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization), also known as the North Atlantic Alliance.
Today, the Alliance comprises 32 member states in North America and Europe.
Throughout its history, the organization has weathered numerous global crises. However, the well-known Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty has been invoked only once—in 2001 following the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. At that time, NATO deployed its forces and assets for counterterrorism operations for the first time in history.
Ukraine’s cooperation with the Alliance began with the country’s independence. Our country took its first steps toward rapprochement with NATO as early as 1991, when it joined the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. In 1994, Ukraine became the first post-Soviet state to join the “Partnership for Peace” program. Over time, relations have only deepened and developed; today, Ukraine has a long history of active participation in NATO-led operations and missions.
With the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, cooperation between our country and the North Atlantic Alliance has reached new heights. NATO has strongly condemned Russia’s war of aggression and continues to provide comprehensive support to Ukraine, which is crucial for effectively repelling the aggressor.
Ukraine’s security is of paramount importance to all Alliance member states. The Organization fully supports Ukraine’s inalienable right to self-defense, as well as its right to choose its own security arrangements.