1951 October 5,Activities in Europe Concerned with Material Support of NATO and MDAP[1], Office of the Secretary of Defense,page23:
On the other hand, one still would have to note that relations betweenNATO in London and OSR in Paris were still not as closely integrated as might be desired, and that the power of decision, especially on industrial and financial matters, still was not centered in one place in theNATO.
Yes, France is geographically situated in a key position so far as Western Europe is concerned. They are really the bridge between Germany, Spain and Italy. And it was necessary to have aNATO organization that was unified and France was a necessary member of that organization.
What concerned me most about De Gaulle's decision was that it threatened the unity ofNATO, which had been so carefully developed over two decades.NATO was essential to the security of Europe and the United States. I was convinced that the stronger and more unified we were, the more incentive the Soviets and their Warsaw Pact allies would have to work with us in solving outstanding problems and differences.
President Putin's KGB roots have sadly informed a style of governance that is neither reformist nor particularly democratic. The common thread throughout his domestic and foreign policies is his effort to trade on fear -- the fears of Russians that their country is under attack from hostile external forces (Chechens,NATO or free marketeers); and the fears of Westerners that if not for a strong, pragmatic leader, Russia will again become unruly, unstable and potentially aggressive.
In the week since I’d seen him in the Oval Office, Bush had done well in Europe.[...]He’d made a strong statement on the expansion ofNATO. “I believe in membership,” the president had said, “for all of Europe’s democracies that seek it and are ready to share the responsibilities thatNATO brings.”[…]The president had even gone out of his way to reassure Putin that he had nothing to fear from the enlargement ofNATO, which would not include Russia.
2024 November 9, Nick Paton Walsh, “Trump’s second term could bring chaos around the world. Will it work?”, inCNN[7]:
Trump’s grotesque and incomprehensible fondness for Putin makes the details of any deal highly dangerous for Europe and theNATO alliance, founded to confront Russia.
Although a definite article usually precedesNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization, as an acronym the article can be either present (the NATO) or absent (NATO), with the latter being much more common.
NATO on the German Wikipedia.Wikipediade