When the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed in 1949, there were 12 founding members, including the United States. Today, there are 30. And in the future, additional countries may still be added to the military alliance, including Ukraine.

Though many may believe that the expansion of NATO reduces the likelihood of war, the reality is just the opposite. Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which established NATO, states that the member nations “agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all.”

In 1949, this meant that the United States, by becoming a party to the treaty, had pledged to come to the defense of 11 other nations should any of them be attacked. Today, under this same treaty, the United States is committed to come to the defense of 29 other nations should any of them be attacked.

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