Meantime ... France is attempting to win agreement to end the power of veto over cases of mass slaughter (Guardian) ... but surely none of Russia, China or the US - all tied to or supporters of regimes accused of this - will agree? Over 100 nations have pledged support for the proposal, presented with Mexico. Conventionally, the UK can be expected to toe the line the US demands.
TBC
RUSSIA UKRAINE INVASION THREAT HAS EASTERN EUROPE NATO MEMBERS NERVOUS OF US-RUSSIA DEAL
Biden has warned Russia of consequences for any such invasion and promised to move in troops and equipment if this happens, but few think the US would directly engage in military action. And this makes Eastern European members nervous as they think Russia may continue to push former USSR territories.
This is where NATO diplomacy is as important as military might, and that can include pressure on EU states to isolate Russia economically - as is the case with strong US diplomacy to push Germany and France to step back from agreeing to a new Russian gas pipeline. See Guardian article:
Officials in Poland and other eastern and central Nato countries have privately bristled at Biden’s description of seeking an “accommodation” with Russia, worrying that any trade-off could increase the danger they face from an expansionist Russia.
“Russia must not be given any say in how Nato organises the defence of its territory” or in who can join the military alliance, said the Estonian prime minister, Kaja Kallas, in public remarks on Thursday. “What is most alarming is Russia’s desire to turn Europe into spheres of influence. It is unacceptable and morally indefensible, and Russia must be made aware of that in clear terms.”
PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE - THREAT TO RUSSIA?
This is covered in the CCEA exam pack, but its not very clearly expressed. Sources I've used here: Nato's own guide; BBC; Wiki. From the BBC:
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Nato embarked on a series of steps designed to build new relationships with former Warsaw Pact countries and particularly with Russia, which was profoundly suspicious of the alliance's plans to expand eastwards.
In 1994 Nato offered former Warsaw Pact members limited associations in the form of the Partnership for Peace programme, allowing them to participate in information sharing, joint exercises and peacekeeping operations.
But this simply appeared to confirm Russian fears that Nato posed a creeping threat to its security.
The Nato-Russia Permanent Joint Council was established in May 1997 to give Russia a consultative role in discussion of matters of mutual interest. While Moscow was given a voice, it rarely felt that it was really listened to.
Russia's fears intensified when in 1999 the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland became the first former Soviet bloc states to join Nato, bringing the alliance's borders 400 miles closer to the Russian frontier.
The PfP was launched at a 1994 Nato summit after a push by US President Clinton to bring many former Soviet states within the Nato fold. The concept was (and is) that this operates a little like the EU membership candidacy scheme: it might lead those member states to future membership of Nato. The Wiki table below shows just how significant this programme has been.
It has proven highly controversial with Russia - leading to accusations that they tried to engineer a coup in Montenegro to switch its affiliation with the Western powers back to Russia. Ukraine is also an original PfP member which of course, as I type in Dec 2021, is under threat of Russian invasion with Russia also directly warning the West of dire consequences if Ukraine becomes a full Nato member.
Consider that Belarus is still also a PfP member - this was, and is, a highly assertive move by Nato to spread its membership and lock former-Soviet nations into an alliance that is essentially intended to counter Russian (formerly Soviet) power and expansion.
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