Polish PM reminds NATO of its original purpose against Russia

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has reminded NATO countries that the alliance was originally created to counter the USSR, and by extension, Russia.

“I wish to remind our allies that NATO was created to defend the West against the Soviet aggression, that is against Russia. And its foundation was solidarity, not egoistic interests. I hope that nothing has changed,” Caliber.Az quotes Tusk as saying on X. 

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) was founded in 1949 in the aftermath of World War II, primarily as a collective defense pact to deter Soviet expansion in Europe. The alliance’s founding principle, outlined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, commits member states to consider an armed attack against one as an attack against all. During the Cold War, NATO’s focus was on countering the military and political influence of the USSR across Europe.

After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, NATO’s role evolved to address new security challenges, including regional conflicts, terrorism, and cyber threats. However, tensions with Russia resurfaced in the 2000s and escalated after its 2014 annexation of Crimea and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, leading to renewed emphasis on NATO’s deterrence and defense posture in Eastern Europe.

The November 18 leak of the 28-point U.S. proposal—demanding Ukrainian territorial concessions and military caps—has fractured alliance unity. European leaders, including Tusk, fear a "sellout" rewarding Putin's aggression, especially after Trump's G20 absence and threats to withhold $61B in aid.

By Khagan İsayev