As NATO marks its 75th anniversary, is the alliance promoting peace or provoking global conflict?

NATO was established after WWII to ensure the stability of US-led Western bloc countries against the Soviet Union’s threat during the Cold War years. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the subsequent collapse of the USSR in 1991, the alliance expanded its missions, engaging in operations in Afghanistan, Libya, and the Balkans. Additionally, it initiated a process of expansion, welcoming former Soviet states bordering Russia into its fold. Russia has repeatedly described NATO expansion as an imminent threat to its national security. After decades of warnings that NATO expansion into Eastern Europe could provoke Russia, Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, sparking a severe crisis between Russia and the West. As the alliance marks its 75th anniversary, we ask the questions: is NATO a protector of global peace or a potential threat to it? And what does the future hold for the alliance in the next 75 years? Guests Dmitry Polyanskiy First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Ian Bond Foreign Policy Director at Centre for European Reform Paul Ingram Research Affiliate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk