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#COVID19 has been bad news for international cooperation (see @WHO)
But there is bright spot: @NATO!
Seriously.
But why is a military alliance responding to a virus?
[THREAD]
But there is bright spot: @NATO!
Seriously.
But why is a military alliance responding to a virus?
[THREAD]
While a lot of focus (rightfully so) has been placed on the big multinational/global international organizations (like the @WHO), @NATO's efforts have been going under-the-radar. https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1245640351659909120
Though @NATO itself is doing it's upmost to tout its response (this is currently @NATO's pinned tweet): https://twitter.com/NATO/status/1240988878888218626
That response includes distribution of supplies... https://twitter.com/dylanpwhite/status/1245382429445181441
...coordination of actions... https://twitter.com/USNATO/status/1246023281297235968
...and countering disinformation about COVID19 https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/04/17/nato-cheif-rebukes-china-coronavirus-disinformation/
Now what might surprise some folks is that these efforts are being supported by the United States and pubicized by US officials... https://twitter.com/USAmbNATO/status/1246027373616795648
...including @SecPompeo... https://twitter.com/SecPompeo/status/1253035889086914564
This is not to say that @NATO's response has been perfect. It got off to a slow start, as stressed by several @gmfus officials & fellows in this @DefenseOne piece: https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2020/04/where-nato/164568/
And who can blame the frustration: @NATO nations have been hit hard by the crisis (alternative hypothesis: @NATO nations more accurately report cases and deaths):
But @NATO does seem to have learned from and changed course in this crisis. @NATO's ability to learn during a crisis is something @drhhardt explores in her recent @OUPPolitics book https://www.google.com/books/edition/NATO_s_Lessons_in_Crisis/cBBQDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover
But @drhardt's book is about military missions. Moreover, pandemic response wasn't a point emphasized in the slew of recent reflections on @NATO at 70 (such as this @HDiplo roundtable in which both myself & @drhardt contributed):
https://networks.h-net.org/node/28443/discussions/5975726/h-diplo-article-review-forum-936-%E2%80%9Cnato-70-%C2%A0balancing-collective
https://networks.h-net.org/node/28443/discussions/5975726/h-diplo-article-review-forum-936-%E2%80%9Cnato-70-%C2%A0balancing-collective
Is it due to "securitizing" the issue? https://twitter.com/ProfPaulPoast/status/1233727919022891010
Perhaps, but I think @NATO's response can be more directly linked to it's mission.
First, the Preamble of the 1949 North Atlantic Treaty calls for promoting "stability" and "well being", which seems consistent with "stopping a pandemic" https://twitter.com/ProfPaulPoast/status/1245676767723106304
Second, Article III of the North Atlantic Treaty calls for "continuous and effective self-help and mutual aid" https://twitter.com/dylanpwhite/status/1245679321391472640
Third, let's just say "NATO is only about detering Russia".
Fine. Even then, @NATO has a clear role in countering #COVID19.
Fine. Even then, @NATO has a clear role in countering #COVID19.
There is the need to respond to Russian disinformation
Illness due to COVID19 can directly impact @NATO's ability to maintain forward deployed forces in the East https://apnews.com/bae1118d1a5934c546cd937b7b07e981
And then there is the "Serbia angle": Russia, China, and Western European nations are all seeking to use COVID19 to gain (or maintain) influence with the country.
https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/13/coronavirus-diplomacy-how-russia-china-and-eu-vie-to-win-over-serbia?__twitter_impression=true
https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/13/coronavirus-diplomacy-how-russia-china-and-eu-vie-to-win-over-serbia?__twitter_impression=true
This is notable for @NATO, because Serbia is the one Western Balkan country not seeking @NATO membership (indeed, Serbia would be the first post-1990 Eastern Europe state to join the EU without first joining @NATO): https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_50100.htm
What could this mean for the future? One possibility is that more IOs, like @NATO, view "health" as fundamental to their purpose https://twitter.com/stephofmann/status/1250463927437271040
