DISINFO: For its fiftieth anniversary, NATO became an offensive organisation
SUMMARY
A new strategy was adopted for the NATO’s fiftieth anniversary and a new phase began – NATO was transformed from a defensive player into an offensive one and expansion toward (south)east became indisputable.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative, portraying NATO as a threat to global peace because it has an aggressive agenda. NATO is a defensive alliance, whose purpose is to protect its member states. This disinformation message also exploits the narrative about NATO enlargement with an aim to encircle Russia. NATO does not "expand" in the imperialistic sense described by pro-Kremlin media. Rather, it considers the applications of candidate countries who want to join the alliance based on their own national will. As such, NATO enlargement is not directed against Russia. NATO's "Open Door Policy" is based on Article 10 of the Alliance's founding document, the North Atlantic Treaty (1949). The Treaty states that NATO membership is open to any "European state in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area". Every sovereign nation has the right to choose its own security arrangements. This is a fundamental principle of European security and one to which Russia has also subscribed. Read several other anti-NATO narratives such as NATO provoking Russia; NATO is fully subordinated to the USA; Eastern European countries such as Baltic states, Moldova, Poland are NATO's “hostages”.