as the war in ukraine continues, the alliance has agreed to start planning for a greater role in co ordinating military aid to the country. on the second day of this meeting in brussels, ministers will mark the signing in washington on 4th april, 1949, of the north atlantic treaty which established the transatlantic political and military alliance. nato started with 12 members but now has 32, with the newest being finland and sweden. nato s secretary generaljens stoltenberg has been speaking at the ceremony, and says the bloc not only strengthens europe s security, but also makes north america stronger. to nato, the united states has more friends and more allies than any other major power. i don t believe in america alone, just as i don t believe in europe alone. i believe in america and europe together in nato. the uk foreign secretary, david cameron, has ruled out western boots on the ground in ukraine. we are looking for a nato mission for ukraine, not a nato in ukraine.