Decades of NATO expansionism

Founded in 1949 by 12 nations as a safeguard against the Soviet Union,
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has expanded 11 times,
most recently in 2024 when Sweden was accepted into the alliance

FOUNDING NATIONS
Belgium, Canada,
Denmark, France,
Iceland, Italy,
Luxembourg,
Netherlands,
Norway, Portugal,
UK, United States

1949
ATLANTIC
OCEAN

Europe
detail

1949
SOVIET
UNION

1952
+ GREECE, TURKEY

1955
+ WEST GERMANY

1982
+ SPAIN

1990
+ GERMAN REUNIFICATION

1999
RUSSIA
+ CZECH REP, HUNGARY,
POLAND

2004
+ BULGARIA, ESTONIA,
LATVIA, LITHUANIA, ROMANIA,
SLOVAKIA, SLOVENIA

2009
+ ALBANIA, CROATIA

2017
+ MONTENEGRO

2020
+ NORTH MACEDONIA

2023
+ FINLAND

2024
+ SWEDEN

1949
SOVIET
UNION

2025
RUSSIA

There are now 32
countries in NATO,
with three more
applying to join
alliance – Bosnia
and Herzegovina,
Georgia and
Ukraine

Compare

Sources: Reuters, NATO
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