What does NATO means and why it is in news ?

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) also known as the North Atlantic Alliance is an intergovernmental military alliance among 28 European countries and two North American countries.

image source wikipedia

➡️It was established in the aftermath effects of World War- II .

➡️ The organization implemented the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4th april 1949.

➡️ It was founded on 4th April 1949 in Washington D.C.,united states.

➡️Headquarters : Brussels, Belgium

➡️ Aim :- To provide the collective security against the Soviet Union . In other words it aims to safeguard the freedom and security of all the NATO members by political and military means.

image source BBC

➡️Its original members were 

Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 

➡️Joining the original signatories were Greece and Turkey (1952); West Germany (1955; from 1990 as Germany); Spain (1982); the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland (1999); Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia (2004); Albania and Croatia (2009); Montenegro (2017); and North Macedonia (2020). France withdrew from the integrated military command of NATO in 1966 but remained a member of the organization; it resumed its position in NATO’s military command in 2009.

➡️ AREAS of involment : Defence

✴️  Why Article 5 of NATO is in news?

➡️The Article 5 is in news because of the Russo-Ukrain war .But before that we need to understand what is article 5 in NATO.

➡️The Article 5 which is the heart of NATO  of the North Atlantic Treaty, in which the signatory members agrees that an armed attack against one or more of them(among NATO members) in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all; and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defense recognized by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.

✴️Why NATO is not sending military troops to help Ukraine❓

Ans ➡️"The purpose of NATO formation was to safeguard the freedom and security of all NATO members but keeping this aside NATO is not sending it's military troops to help Ukraine because it is bound by Article 5 .

➡️As given above that Article 5  is an agreement between the NATO members that ensures "Collective defence " ; which clearly means that an attack on any one ally will be considered an attack on all allies. This could happen if Russia shifts it's target to some of Ukraine's neighborhood that are NATO members.

➡️ Since Ukraine is a partner of the western defence alliance but not a NATO member that is why "Article 5 " or the "collective defence and security " Pleadge does not apply here.