There is a war-like situation between the US and Russia over the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), formed to deal with the Soviet Union after World War II. Russia has attacked Ukraine to stop the expansion of NATO on its border and a fierce war is going on for 19 days. Russia is seeking assurances from Western countries that Ukraine should not be included in NATO. On the other hand, NATO countries including the US have said that any independent country is free to join their military organization. Not only this, America and other NATO countries are continuously supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine. Despite the threat of nuclear war from Russia, America is firm on the expansion of NATO, behind which its trick is hidden. Let’s understand the whole game…..
NATO was established in April 1949 through the signing of a treaty. The purpose of establishment of this military organization is the collective security of its member countries. This means that if a member country is subjected to a foreign attack or threat, it will be protected collectively. NATO intervened during the crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Libya. NATO had 12 founding member countries at the time of its establishment. Now the number of these members has reached 30. NATO plans to increase it further.
Countries with Russian influence were also made members of NATO
NATO has included Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Ukraine in its list of ‘willing member’ countries. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, Western countries had promised Russia that this military organization would be abolished but it did not happen. In 1997, the members of NATO were also made countries which were areas of influence of Russia. These include Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Estonia etc. Despite the opposition of Russia, America is continuously increasing the number of NATO countries, a big reason is hidden behind it.
According to an old report in the American newspaper New York Times, the expansion of NATO is directly related to the giant defense companies of America. Companies like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon keep pressuring the US government to expand NATO so that they create a huge market. These giant companies of America dominate the world’s billion-dollar arms market. According to the report, if a country becomes a member of NATO, then it will have to follow the rules of the military organization and it will be necessary to take billions of dollars of weapons and equipment from its western countries.
Countries involved in NATO have to buy weapons worth billions of dollars
Under this, if a country takes a fighter jet from American companies, then it will have to get flight simulators, parts, electronics and engine improvement equipment. Similarly, that country will have to take transport plane, utility helicopter, attack helicopter. Apart from this, the necessary military communication equipment, computers, radars, radios and other equipment of the modern army are included. From the sale of all these, the defense companies of Western countries especially America and Britain earn a lot. The US has recently signed agreements with many countries including Germany to sell F-35 fighter jets.
To promote the expansion of NATO, US defense companies ‘donate’ billions of dollars to candidates running for presidential elections in the country. Presidential elections in America are the most expensive in the world and that is why every president is suppressed under the favor of ‘charities’ of these companies. After winning the election, these companies insist on the President to promote their business. This was the reason that after the expansion of NATO in the year 1997, the countries of Eastern Europe also started giving preference to American weapons instead of Soviet fighter jets and weapons.
America’s dominance in the arms market
Currently, Poland has approved a tank deal with the US worth about $ 6 billion. Apart from this, many other countries including Romania have purchased weapons on a large scale from America. Former US President Bill Clinton has even said that ‘the expansion of NATO is in our national interest’. According to the report, if a country joins NATO, it has to spend billions of dollars. Countries joining NATO have to increase their defense budget. American companies directly benefit from this.
According to Sipri, an organization that buys and sells arms around the world, American companies are at the forefront of the arms market. America is at the top of the top 100 companies in the world. 41 US companies have sold $285 billion in the year 2020. This accounts for 54% of total arms sales globally. These top 100 companies sold weapons worth $531 billion in the year 2020. This sale of weapons is continuously increasing.