The military alliance has been at the centre of world politics - should it intervene in Ukraine, or stay out to avoid a direct clash with Russia? UCC’s Professor Andrew Cottey joins us on this week’s episode to look at what exactly NATO is, how it works, what Ireland’s involvement in it is, and why Putin cites its expansion east as a potential threat.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/