What news?
Nato occupied Wales last week. Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation held their first summit in Britain since Margaret Thatcher hosted one in London in 1990. There were armoured cars on the lawn of the Celtic Manor resort, near Newport, and seven warships in Cardiff Bay.
Why Wales?
Announcing the summit, David Cameron said: “We had the G8 in Northern Ireland, we had the Olympics in London, we’ve got the Commonwealth Games in Scotland: it is Wales’s turn for one of these big events.” Coming soon: Bodmin to bid for the 2026 World Cup.
Er, Nato . . . remind me
The organisation was formed on April 4, 1949, with 12 members: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Holland, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, the UK and the US (this is not necessarily in order of defence capability). Countries are supposed to work together to keep the peace, set aside 2% of gross domestic product on defence spending and help other members in times of military threat. There are now 28 members, including Albania, Turkey, Poland and Latvia.
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What were they talking about?
Top of the list was the Russian threat to Ukraine. This is a particularly sensitive issue, as Nato was partly established to counter the military threat of the Soviet Union. Yet some people have suggested that the threat from Moscow would evaporate if Russia joined Nato. In 2000, Vladimir Putin seemed to welcome this idea. The Russian president told David Frost: “I wouldn’t rule out any such possibility . . . if and when Russia’s views are taken into account as an equal partner.”
Could Russia join the club?
Not if history is anything to go by. Showing uncharacteristic imagination, the Soviet Union asked to join Nato in 1954. As an official history of the organisation puts it soberly: “The request tested the limits of Nato’s willingness to admit new members.”
How has Nato kept the peace?
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In 1951, Nato created the Caravan of Peace, a mobile exhibition that attracted 3m visitors when it toured Italy, Greece and Turkey. In those days there wasn’t very much on TV.
Did Nato fever grip Wales?
Not entirely. A butcher told The Guardian: “It’s like the Ryder Cup golf. They claimed it would put us on the map, be a boost for business. But people forget about us as soon as the show moves on.” Guess whose shop is pencilled in for an invasion exercise in the near future?