Pakistan, March 26 -- In the aftermath of World War II, the United States (US) and its allies created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949 with the objective to curtail Soviet expansion in Eastern Europe. Given the volatile history of interstate conflict in Europe, a collective security agreement in the form of NATO was a unique phenomenon. Europe aspired to rebuild and develop under the guarantee of American security, which ensured military support against the Soviet Union.

In exchange for economic and military support, most of Europe aligned with US foreign policy. However, over the years, this alignment has weakened, leading to policy differences between the two. These divergences are evident in issues such as the Ira...