NATO Celebrates 75 Years As Ukraine War Drags On

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) celebrated its 75th anniversary on Thursday.

The Details: The NATO organization has grown to 32 members from a founding group of 12 in 1949. Foreign ministers met at NATO's Brussels headquarters this week to mark the occasion and review the last 75 years’ military and technological advancements. Officials often noted the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on the alliance, which most recently added Sweden and Finland to its ranks.

Key Quotes: “Generation after generation, the United States and our fellow Allies have chosen to come together to stand up for freedom and push back against aggression — knowing we are stronger, and the world is safer, when we do,” U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement. At a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “support for Ukraine, the determination of every country represented here at NATO, remains rock solid.”

How the Media Covered It: Coverage was generally common in mainstream outlets, but less common in right-rated outlets, which tend to focus less on international stories. Nevertheless, coverage in Western media was generally positive on NATO; echoing conservative attitudes, a writer from the Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) said Western European NATO members “often have been lazy and self-indulgent,” but still said the alliance was a “boon to all mankind.” On the other hand, The Washington Post (Lean Left bias) said “toasts about unity” were often overshadowed by “fears about Trump.” This summary was developed with the help of AllSides' AI technology.