𝙶𝚕𝚘𝚋𝚊𝚕 𝙳𝚎𝚏𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚎 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚅𝚒𝚜𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚍
Massing Russian troops on the borders of Ukraine have elevated tensions between eastern and western powers in a way not seen since the cold war.
The 100,000+ Russian troops near the Ukrainian border offer a threat of invasion that now rests heavily on the minds of ordinary Ukrainian citizens.
One of the core issues that's ignited this tension is NATO, a military alliance of 30 countries including the US, UK, France, Italy and Germany that promises to defend any member that comes under attack. In December Russia wanted assurances that NATO would limit the resources and troops that it massed in eastern Europe, including a ban on Ukraine ever formally joining the alliance.
It's hard to overstate NATO's influence in geopolitics. According to data from SIPRI, members of NATO account for more than 57% of total global military spending, with the US alone accounting for 40% in the world.
𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚛 | 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚊 𝚂𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐
