Most people in the West consider NATO to be one of the strongest and most successful military-political associations at the present time. The North Atlantic Alliance has lived longer than almost all others, it includes the most states and, finally, it was able to achieve its main goal, and without firing a single shot. Even after the end of the Cold War, NATO found something to do with itself, playing a huge role during the war with Afghanistan.
But despite NATO's tremendous contribution to maintaining peace on earth, US Foreign Policy reports that the days of NATO's heyday are numbered. And in the near future, the decline and collapse of the great military-political association is expected.
Several negative factors can contribute to all this:
1. In connection with the global crisis and the difficult economic situation in European countries. Most countries have begun to sharply cut funding for new projects for the armies. We also cut defense spending and modernization of military capacity as much as possible. This will significantly reduce NATO's ability to influence events on the world stage. Most likely, NATO will have to carry out only small peacekeeping missions and provide passive assistance to those in need.
2. The protracted conflict in Afghanistan will find disaffected politicians in the United States. Which can blame NATO for many restrictions. Supplied for warfare by the United States and allied forces.
At the same time, the European public will respond negatively to the United States, motivating it by being drawn into a long-term and fruitless conflict. As a result, NATO in the next ten years will not want to get involved in further adventures. And if we take into account the stability of democracy in European countries, then in the near future NATO will remain unclaimed.
3. Turkey, which is a NATO member and has the second largest army. The progressive rise of Islamophobia in the United States, as well as in Europe itself, could lead to a conflict that paralyzes most of the NATO forces.
Thus, the prospect of NATO as a significant international force looks dim. Naturally, there is a standard response to such gloomy predictions - to point out that NATO has experienced crises (for example, the Suez crisis), and to note that it has always experienced them. This is true, but it is necessary to remember the peculiarities of the Cold War, during which European and American leaders saw a common goal.
Of course, since NATO symbolizes transatlantic solidarity, none of the leaders of Europe or the United States would want NATO to end under his rule. Therefore, no one admits that NATO is unnecessary, and it will slowly lose its position and importance in the world. Most likely, if in the near future NATO ceases to exist, we will not even notice this loss.
