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NATO's 29 member nations tried Thursday to display their unit against Russia's "aggression" REUTERS / Joshua Roberts

NATO celebrated its 70th birthday this Thursday, April 4th. The representatives of the 29 member countries met in Washington. An anniversary in a delicate context for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization which brings together most European countries, but also the United States, Canada and Turkey. Created to face the Soviet threat, the alliance remains seven decades later focused on Moscow, the focus of discussions in the US capital.

With our correspondent in Washington, Anne Corpet

The first plenary meeting of ministers was devoted to the Russian threat. The Allies solemnly called on Moscow to comply with the INF Treaty on Disarmament on Intermediate-Range Nuclear Weapons.

A text denounced by the American president after multiple violations by the Russians. There is little hope, however, that Moscow responds to the request of the Atlantic Alliance. The Secretary General himself acknowledged that NATO was preparing to live in a world without an INF treaty.

The allies have also adopted this Thursday morning a package of measures to strengthen surveillance in the Black Sea . Again, this is to fight the Russian threat: NATO will deploy more ships to allow Ukrainian boats to circulate safely in this area.

Internal divisions

NATO thus displays its unity against the Russian threat, but tensions remain between the allies and in particular between the United States and Turkey. Ankara has confirmed the purchase of a Russian missile defense system and that does not please the Americans at all. The Secretary of State warned of potentially devastating consequences if this S-400 system were deployed on Turkish territory.

The Secretary General of NATO has kept him out of this conflict. " This is a bilateral affair, " said Jens Stoltenberg, who was, however, happy to promote dialogue between the two sides.

And then, the question of contributions to the NATO budget was again debated. Americans are constantly demanding that member countries invest more. In this regard, the secretary-general of the alliance said that progress had been made, but without giving more details.

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