NATO becoming threat to world peace, expert warns

Research professor at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Femi Otubanjo, has said the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is gradually becoming a threat to world peace.

Otubanjo’s position followed outcome of the ongoing NATO summit, where Sweden declared its intention to join the alliance, while Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelsenkyy, mounted pressure for membership confirmation.

The two-day event, which is being held in Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania, has seen countries such as France and Germany pledge to supply Ukraine with more ammunition.

Diplomats in Nigeria are anticipating implication of the summit on world order, even as the upcoming BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit draws near.

Otubanjo said NATO has expanded, even to the last country before Russia, which is provocative. He noted that members of the alliance would not have accepted such, had Russia done the same.

He said NATO is a principal actor in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, as it pokes its finger in the face of Russia by giving Ukraine support.

“NATO’s aggressive position on Russia’s war is a threat to world order, same with Russia. While Russia does it to protect its sovereign interest, NATO, on the other hand, think they are protecting the world order by deterring Russian aggression,” he said.

He said the reality is that the world order is currently unstable, with countries trying to resist American dominance. “Now, America needs to hold together its hegemony against the threat of China, and China is working with Russia in BRICS to dilute America’s hegemony, to have a world where everyone has a kind of equity,” he added.

Professor of Political Science, Lagos State University (LASU), Kayode Soremekun, said NATO is a game between Washington and Moscow, with America eager to embark on unipolarity by ensuring Russia and China are confined to second-class position in the struggle for world hegemony.

Former Director General, NIIA, Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, believes NATO is using the summit to further consolidate the current world order to prevent opposition. He said NATO wants all the neighbours of Russia to be on the side of the West but Russia has refused to let that happen by using whatever means available to defend itself.

He noted that the BRICS alliance was set up to protest the current world order, disclosing that in its upcoming summit in August, 41 countries indicated interest to join. According to him, this implies America’s dominance in the world is being gradually contested.

Speaking on implication of the NATO summit to Nigeria, Soremekun said: “The outcome, as significant as it is, has nothing to do with conditions in Nigeria. We are talking of oil subsidy, reckless pessimism or cautious optimism from the emergence of a new government. Nigeria has to focus on its problems.”