Q & A

This week’s Q & A’s are in the following areas:

• How many Ukrainians live in the United States and where?

• What is NATO, who is in it and why?

• Why isn’t Ukraine, the largest country in Europe, in NATO or the EU?

1. How many Ukrainians live in the United States and where?

• The largest enclave of ethnic Ukrainians in North America live in Canada, but according to a 2019 census estimate, there are more than 1,009,874 Americans of Ukrainian descent representing 0.3% of the American population. It is the second largest number of Ukrainians outside of Russia and Poland. By far, the largest number of Ukrainians in the United States live in the New York City area. A large Ukrainian Museum exists in New York City’s East Village which had been home to New York’s largest ethnic Ukrainian neighborhood. There is also a well known neighborhood called “Little Ukraine, or “Ukrainian Village” in Chicago, Illinois.

2. What is NATO, who is in it and why?

• NATO or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a group of 30 North American and European nations.

• Security in our daily lives is key to our well-being. NATO’s purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.

• According to the NATO charter, its mission "is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means." The alliance was created in 1949 in response to the start of the Cold War. NATO is a collective defense organization in which all participant countries protect any one that is attacked or otherwise infringed upon. This principle is articulated in NATO article number 5.

• Article 5 has only been invoked once in NATO’s history, immediately after the terrorist attacks of 9.11.2001

• 40 non-member countries work with NATO on a wide range of political and security-related issues. These countries pursue dialogue and practical cooperation with the Alliance and many contribute to NATO-led operations and missions. NATO is also cooperating with a wide network of international organizations. Partner countries do not have the same decision-making authority as member count

• NATO takes an active role in a broad range of crisis-management operations and missions, including civil emergency operations. to learn more about NATO actions and historical timeline

• Finally, NATO has what it calls “the Membership Action Plan” which helps those aspiring members prepare for memberships by meeting NATO key requirements.

• The last/latest country to be admitted to NATO was North Macedonia in 2020.

• Regarding the Ukrainian crisis: Ukraine is NOT a member of NATO nor has the country applied to become a member. President Putin’s alleged grievance preceding its invasion, was that he wanted an iron clad assurance that Ukraine would never be allowed to become a member nation. NATO countries, as per their organizational structure, is supplying crisis management assistance to member countries and to Ukraine during this period, especially in relation to the refugee crisis which the invasion has created. 

• NATO countries have also united to pursue sanctions against Russia and also to get military assistance to Ukraine without breaking NATO regulations. Thus far, NATO countries are reluctant to implement a "no fly zone" which Ukraine is asking for, due to the possible eruption of a global war. Should the conflict spill over into any NATO country, NATO involvement may change.

3. Why isn’t Ukraine, the largest country in Europe in NATO or the EU?

• Ukraine is NOT a member of the European Union. The European Union is made up of 27 countries and is in effect a European collective of countries which allow travel, work and learning across European borders. It does this through the use of a common currency the Euro and other common services. There are affiliated organizations and European government institutions, 17 of them, from the European Parliament to a European Investment bank. During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine formally applied for membership to the European Union. The application process however, is lengthy and a complicated. For example, Turkey which applied in 1987 and North Macedonia which applied to become a member in 2004 are still not members of the Union although they both are member of NATO. Just yesterday, even amid the conflict, or perhaps because of it, both Georgia and Moldova have applied for membership in the EU.

• It is worth noting here, that Ukraine is a significant part of Europe. It is the largest country and as we now know, has the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.