I hate war. I hate seeing bombed-out homes, kids running from gunfire, and soldiers who never return home. What I hate the most are the people who profit from it: weapon manufacturers like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, manipulating situations to keep countries fighting. They make money when the world is in chaos, and I’m tired of it. Today, I want to talk about NATO, this big military alliance that’s been around since 1949, and two bold ideas: shutting it down completely or allowing Russia, Ukraine, and even African nations to join to stop the conflict. This is about saving lives, not just changing borders.
NATO: A Quick Look Back
NATO kicked off with 12 countries: the U.S., Canada, and ten Western European nations: Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. They promised to protect each other from the Soviet Union. That was 1949 when the Cold War was ice-cold. Fast forward to today, and NATO has increased to 32 members, with a military budget of $1.2 trillion in 2024 (mostly from the U.S., which chips in about $850 billion). The Soviet Union has been gone since 1991, but NATO didn’t pack up. Instead, it kept growing; Poland in 1999, the Baltics in 2004, Finland and Sweden by 2024 creeping right up to Russia’s borders.
Meanwhile, wars keep popping off. Ukraine is a nightmare with over 600,000 casualties (U.S. estimates, Feb 2025) since Russia invaded in 2022, with $100 billion in U.S. aid keeping the fight alive. Who’s cashing in? The weapon makers. Lockheed’s stock jumped 30% since 2022; Raytheon’s churning out missiles like candy. It is a pattern: fear feeds conflict, feeds profit.
Idea #1: Shut NATO Down
What if we just ended NATO? We could say, “NATO, you did your job, the Cold War is over, time to close down.” No more big alliances giving weapon companies a reason to sell fear. No more “Russia’s coming!” to justify 100,000 U.S. troops in Europe or 8,000 NATO soldiers from Estonia to Romania. Instead, that $1.2 trillion a year could build schools, fix roads, or help people instead of causing destruction.
Russia might calm down too. With 14% of their borders now touching NATO countries, and Finland’s 1,340 km border with Russia adding tension, Putin claims NATO’s “encirclement” pushed him into action in Ukraine. If NATO isn’t a factor, maybe he won’t have an enemy to blame. Without NATO, the U.S. has no reason to heavily arm Ukraine, and Russia has no reason to keep fighting. The war effort stops when the fear that drives it ends.
Idea #2: Let Russia (and Others) Join
Here is a crazier idea: instead of ending NATO, let’s open it up. Invite Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and even African countries like Nigeria and Kenya. Change NATO from a “stop Russia” group to a “let’s all get along” club. If Russia is inside, they won’t be starting fights outside. Ukraine wouldn’t be a battleground, it would just be a neighbour. NATO’s rule that an attack on one is an attack on all could scare everyone into peace.
Consider this: Russia has 5,500 nuclear warheads, the U.S. has 5,000. Together in NATO, that’s an unstoppable force—no one would dare challenge it. Weapons manufacturers would be upset, though. Peace would mean no more $61 billion aid packages for Ukraine and no more Javelin missile contracts. Their whole business falls apart when the “enemy” joins the team.
The Africa Angle
Let us focus on Africa because this issue is not just about Europe. Africa is also suffering, and NATO’s influence reaches there too. For example, in the Sahel region, there were 10,000 deaths in 2024 from jihadi conflicts in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. Russia’s Wagner group is supplying weapons to military juntas, and the U.S. operated drone bases in Niger, which Pentagon said has been handed over to the Niger’s military junta in August 2024. Both countries are selling weapons—Russia’s AK-47s and America’s Humvees—fueling the chaos. In 2023, U.S. arms exports to Africa were $2.5 billion, and Russia’s exports were close behind. The real victims are the locals, not the CEOs.
What if African countries joined NATO? Nigeria has 223,000 active troops and is eager for stability. Kenya has successfully fought off al-Shabaab. If they joined NATO, they wouldn’t be pawns in a U.S.-Russia proxy game, they would be players with a voice. Russia might stop interfering, and the U.S. might stop treating Africa like a military playground. Conflicts like Sudan’s civil war, which caused 15,000 deaths since 2023, could cool down if major powers stop picking sides and start working together.
The War Profiteers Hate This
The ugly truth is that weapon companies need war. Lockheed made $67 billion in 2024, much of it from NATO deals. Raytheon made $45 billion. They spend a lot on lobbying—$83 million in U.S. political donations in 2022 alone—to keep tensions high. NATO is their golden goose. Disband NATO, and their excuse disappears. Let Russia and Africa join, and the “threat” they sell vanishes. Either way, they lose, and people win.
Why do we accept this?
That’s what bothers me. Why do we ignore tens of thousands of deaths in Ukraine or Mali while these companies make money? Every NATO jet—$80 million each—could have been a hospital. Every missile could have been a school. We’re stuck in this cycle because NATO still exists, Russia is still outside, and Africa is a chessboard. Disbanding NATO says, “Enough.” Opening it up says, “Let’s try peace.” Both options reject the war industry and prioritize people.
What Do You Think?
I don’t have all the answers. Shutting down NATO sounds like a dream, but it’s deeply established—32 countries won’t just leave. Letting Russia in? Trust is a big issue—Crimea is still fresh in everyone’s memory. Africa joining? The logistics are complicated. But I’m tired of war and putting profits over lives. Could disbanding NATO break the cycle? Could including Russia, Ukraine, and African countries stop the violence? You tell me—I’m listening.
Share your thoughts in the comments. Spread the word if you’re as frustrated as I am. Let’s keep advocating for a world where people matter more than weapons.
