In 1949, 10 other countries (Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United States) joined France and the U.K. in signing the North Atlantic Treaty, thus forming the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. This was again in response to the perceived threat posed by both the Soviet military and the spread of communism across Eastern Europe. Over the decades, more countries have applied for membership and joined NATO. Currently, the number of member nations stands at 30.