Editing NATO (section)

===21st century===
[[File:NATO meeting in Washington - 2024.jpg|thumb|left|Group photo of the [[2024 Washington summit]]]]

[[s:North Atlantic Treaty#Article 5|Article 5 of the North Atlantic treaty]], requiring member states to come to the aid of any member state subject to an armed attack, was invoked for the first and only time after the [[September 11 attacks]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Invocation of Article 5 confirmed |url=http://www.nato.int/docu/update/2001/1001/e1002a.htm |date=3 October 2001 |publisher=North Atlantic Treaty Organization |access-date=29 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121230143558/http://www.nato.int/docu/update/2001/1001/e1002a.htm |archive-date=30 December 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> after which troops were deployed to [[Afghanistan]] under the NATO-led [[International Security Assistance Force|ISAF]]. The organization has operated a range of additional roles since then, including sending [[NATO Training Mission – Iraq|trainers to Iraq]], assisting in [[Operation Ocean Shield|counter-piracy operations]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Counter-piracy operations |url=http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_48815.htm |work=North Atlantic Treaty Organization |access-date=27 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526115212/http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_48815.htm |archive-date=26 May 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The election of French president [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] in 2007 led to a major reform of France's military position, culminating with the return to full membership on 4 April 2009, which also included France rejoining the [[NATO Military Command Structure]], while maintaining an independent nuclear deterrent.<ref name=WP-France/><ref name="guardian-france">{{cite news |title=Sarkozy military plan unveiled |last=Stratton |first=Allegra |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jun/17/france.military |work=The Guardian |location=UK |date=17 June 2008 |access-date=17 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307184804/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jun/17/france.military |archive-date=7 March 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="DPC">{{cite web | url=http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_49201.htm | title=Defence Planning Committee (DPC) (Archived) | publisher=NATO | date=11 November 2014 | access-date=13 August 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222165648/http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_49201.htm | archive-date=22 December 2015 | url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Nato awacs.jpg|thumb|NATO [[E-3 Sentry|E-3A]] flying with [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] [[F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16]]s in a NATO exercise]]

The 2014 [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|Russian annexation of Crimea]] led to strong condemnation by all NATO members,<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/news_107716.htm |title= Statement by the North Atlantic Council following meeting under article 4 of the Washington Treaty |work= NATO Newsroom |date= 4 March 2014 |access-date= 2 April 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140310182356/http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/news_107716.htm |archive-date= 10 March 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> and was one of the seven times that [[North Atlantic Treaty#Article 4|Article 4]], which calls for consultation among NATO members, has been invoked. Prior times included during the [[Iraq War]] and [[Syrian civil war]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_49187.htm |title= The consultation process and Article 4 |website= NATO |date= 24 February 2022 |access-date= 3 April 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220402192427/https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_49187.htm |archive-date= 2 April 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref> At the [[2014 Wales summit]], the leaders of NATO's member states formally committed for the first time to spend the equivalent of at least two percent of their [[gross domestic product]]s on defence by 2024, which had previously been only an informal guideline.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Techau | first1=Jan | title=The Politics of 2 Percent: NATO and the Security Vacuum in Europe | url=http://carnegieeurope.eu/2015/09/02/politics-of-2-percent-nato-and-security-vacuum-in-europe-pub-61139 | date=2 September 2015 | publisher=[[Carnegie Europe]] | quote=A month before [the alliance's summit in Riga in 2006], Victoria Nuland, then the U.S. ambassador to NATO, called the 2 percent metric the "unofficial floor" on defence spending in NATO. But never had all governments of NATO's 28 nations officially embraced it at the highest possible political level – a summit declaration. | access-date=11 July 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712221337/https://carnegieeurope.eu/2015/09/02/politics-of-2-percent-nato-and-security-vacuum-in-europe-pub-61139 | archive-date=12 July 2018 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:FLEET-20240311-XE0146-010.jpg|thumb|[[Steadfast Defender 2024|Steadfast Defender 24]] was the largest NATO exercise since the [[Cold War (1985–1991)|end of the Cold War]].]]

At the [[2016 Warsaw summit]], NATO countries agreed on the creation of [[NATO Enhanced Forward Presence]], which deployed four multinational battalion-sized battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.<ref name="EFP">{{cite web |url=https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_136388.htm |title=NATO's military presence in the east of the Alliance |website=NATO |date=28 March 2022 |access-date=3 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331223713/https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_136388.htm |archive-date=31 March 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> Before and during the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]], several NATO countries sent ground troops, warships and fighter aircraft to reinforce the alliance's eastern flank, and multiple countries again invoked Article 4.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/11/us-sending-3000-more-troops-to-poland-00008357 |title=U.S. sending 3,000 more troops to Poland amid fresh Ukraine invasion warnings |last1=McLeary |first1=Paul |last2=Toosi |first2=Nahal |website=Politico |date=11 February 2022 |access-date=3 April 2022 |archive-date=22 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220222062321/https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/11/us-sending-3000-more-troops-to-poland-00008357 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/spain-sends-warships-black-sea-considers-sending-warplanes-2022-01-20/ |title=Spain sends warships to Black Sea, considers sending warplanes |website=Reuters |date=21 January 2022 |access-date=3 April 2022 |archive-date=22 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122113343/https://www.reuters.com/world/spain-sends-warships-black-sea-considers-sending-warplanes-2022-01-20/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spain-will-send-four-fighter-jets-130-troops-bulgaria-2022-02-09/ |title=Spain will send four fighter jets and 130 troops to Bulgaria |website=Reuters |date=9 February 2022 |access-date=3 April 2022 |archive-date=14 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214180335/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spain-will-send-four-fighter-jets-130-troops-bulgaria-2022-02-09/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In March 2022, NATO leaders met at Brussels for an [[2022 Brussels summit|extraordinary summit]] which also involved [[Group of Seven]] and European Union leaders.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.dw.com/en/nato-g7-eu-leaders-display-unity-avoid-confrontation-with-russia/a-61259981 |title=NATO, G7, EU leaders display unity, avoid confrontation with Russia |website=Deutsche Welle |date=25 March 2022 |access-date=3 April 2022 |archive-date=3 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220403082458/https://www.dw.com/en/nato-g7-eu-leaders-display-unity-avoid-confrontation-with-russia/a-61259981 |url-status=live }}</ref> NATO member states agreed to establish four additional battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia,<ref name="EFP"/> and elements of the [[NATO Response Force]] were activated for the first time in NATO's history.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.axios.com/nato-kremlin-russian-invasion-ukraine-0872be5e-b5e0-486b-b356-2985370e5148.html |title=NATO Response Force deploys for first time |last=Gonzalez |first=Oriana |website=Axios |date=26 February 2022 |access-date=3 April 2022 |archive-date=20 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320114915/https://www.axios.com/nato-kremlin-russian-invasion-ukraine-0872be5e-b5e0-486b-b356-2985370e5148.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

As of June 2022, NATO had deployed 40,000 troops along its {{convert|2,500|km|mi|adj=mid|-long|-1}} Eastern flank to deter Russian aggression. More than half of this number have been deployed in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland, which five countries muster a considerable combined ex-NATO force of 259,000 troops. To supplement Bulgaria's Air Force, Spain sent [[Eurofighter Typhoon]]s, the Netherlands sent eight [[Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II|F-35]] attack aircraft, and additional French and US attack aircraft would arrive soon as well.<ref name="birn14.6">{{cite news |title=NATO BOOSTS FORCES IN EAST TO DETER RUSSIAN MENACE |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2022/06/14/nato-boosts-forces-in-east-to-deter-russian-menace/ |work=BIRN |agency=Balkan Investigative Reporting Network |publisher=Balkan Insight |date=14 June 2022 |access-date=15 June 2022 |archive-date=15 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220615152556/https://balkaninsight.com/2022/06/14/nato-boosts-forces-in-east-to-deter-russian-menace/ |url-status=live }}</ref>