NATO marks 70 years --------------------- Apr 4, 1949: U.S., Canada and 10 West European states sign North Atlantic Treaty --------------------- 1955: West Germany joins NATO – Soviet Union and seven East European states form Warsaw Pact --------------------- 1966: France pulls out of NATO’s integrated military structure in protest at dominance of U.S. commanders --------------------- 1967: NATO moves HQ from France to Belgium --------------------- 1987: U.S.and USSR sign Intermediate- Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, --------------------- 1989: Fall of Berlin Wall --------------------- 1991: Warsaw Pact dissolved --------------------- 1995: NATO launches first military operation – airstrikes against Bosnian Serbs shelling Sarajevo --------------------- 1999: NATO conducts air strikes against Yugoslavia over Kosovo – first use of force without UN approval --------------------- 2001: NATO invokes Article 5 for first time, declaring 9/11 attacks on U.S. to be attack against whole alliance --------------------- 2003: NATO takes control of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan – first major operation outside Europe --------------------- 2007: NATO-member Estonia comes under first known cyber-attack on entire nation --------------------- 2008: Moscow occupies around fifth of Georgia’s territory after five-day war --------------------- 2009: France announces return to NATO’s military command --------------------- NATO begins anti-piracy patrol off Horn of Africa --------------------- 2011: NATO takes on responsibility for enforcing no-fly zone over Libya --------------------- 2014: Russia annexes Crimea, prompting biggest East-West showdown since Cold War --------------------- Jul 2018: U.S. President Donald Trump (above) demands that NATO leaders double defence spending to 4% of GDP, up from current goal of 2% --------------------- Feb 2019: U.S. and Russia suspend compliance with INF treaty --------------------- Dec 4: London summit marking 70th anniversary. Allies likely to adopt Franco-German proposal for reform after Trump questioned its relevance --------------------- NATO membership Founders (1949) 1950-2000 2000-present To join in 2020 NATO battlegroups deployed since 2017 --------------------- Canada U.S. --------------------- Iceland Norwegian Sea Finland Norway Sweden Netherlands Denmark RUSSIA Lithuania Kaliningrad (Russia) UK Belgium France Poland Czech Rep. Bosnia Kosovo Albania North Macedonia Libya Ireland ATLANTIC OCEAN Portugal North Sea Estonia Latvia Belarus Ukraine Slovakia Moldova Spain Black Sea Germany Lux. Switz. Romania Bulgaria Greece Slovenia Montenegro Crimea Georgia Turkey Syria Austria Hungary Serbia Croatia Italy Mediterranean sea Baltic Sea 500km 300 miles --------------------- Sources: Economist, BBC, New York Times, Reuters, Stratfor Picture: Associated Press © GRAPHIC NEWS