The North Atlantic Treaty Organization — NATO — was founded on April 4, 1949. At the time it had 12 founding member states. In the 75 years since then, it has grown to 32 members.

Its purpose was to provide collective security against the threat of the Soviet Union and prevent it from expanding into Western Europe. Although the Cold War has ended, Russia still poses a threat to Western Europe.

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong talks with John Deni of the Atlantic Council about the role of NATO in the world today, the challenges the war in Ukraine raises and the future of the alliance.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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