Finland and Sweden are preparing to apply for NATO membership later this month following Ukraine’s invasion
One reason why President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine was to stop NATO expansion towards Russia’s borders and ensure that the hostile Western military alliance does not reach his country’s threshold. But the normally astute Putin seems to have miscalculated on Ukraine and taken an unnecessary chance. The consequences of this mishap could have fatal consequences for Russia.
The Russian army’s skill as a fighting force is now being questioned because Ukraine with weapons supplied by the United States and Europe has resisted hard. The forces have withdrawn from the outskirts of Kyiv and are now concentrating on the Donbas region, much closer to the Russian border. Although the scale of the military operations has decreased, it will take much more time and energy and money to get the entire geographical region of the Donbass. In addition, two of Russia’s Nordic neighbors Finland and Sweden, which have long proclaimed their neutral status, are considering joining the transatlantic alliance. Public opinion in these two countries has changed after seeing the devastation and suffering that the war caused.
The large-scale destruction that has reduced cities around Ukraine to rubble has ravaged European nations and exposed Russia’s ugly side to people who are not reluctant to Moscow. The fear of similar attacks leads Finland and Sweden to consider formally joining NATO as protection against all such measures from Russia in the future. The United States and NATO are waiting with open arms to invite both of these countries into their trap. If this happens, Russia will be completely shut down by Western military forces.
Former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubbs, who has always advocated closer ties with the EU, tweeted this morning “For anyone following Finland’s path towards @ NATO membership, it looks like the events will take place on 12 May with positions outlined by our political leadership in sequence for a few days. The train is approaching NATO headquarters in Brussels. The application is imminent. “
For everyone who follows Finland’s footsteps @NATO membership, it looks like the events will begin to unfold on May 12 with positions outlined by our political leadership in sequence for a few days. The train is approaching NATO headquarters in Brussels. The application is imminent.
– Alexander Stubb (@alexstubb) 2 May 2022
So, Finland’s formal application to join NATO begins as soon as the second week of May. NATO would definitely speed up the process and build an iron-clad defense against Russia.
“I think the decision on Finnish NATO membership was taken on February 24, at five o’clock in the morning, when [Russian President Vladimir] Putin attacked Ukraine. That was when public opinion basically took a 180-degree turn, ” Alexander Stubbs, Finland’s former prime minister, was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera in an interview.
Earlier this year, Finland’s current Prime Minister Sanna Martin had said that her country would remain neutral. Public opinion was opposed to joining any military alliance. But as Stubbs noted, that changed after Russian troops marched into Ukraine. Sanna Martin, who echoes Stubbs, said in April that “everything had changed” since February.
And if Finland joins NATO, Sweden cannot lag far behind. Like Finland, Sweden had not been to either the Russian or NATO camps. Since 1814, Sweden has been at peace, adopting an alliance-free foreign policy during peacetime and neutrality in wartime. In fact, Sweden’s neutrality has ensured that it has not been at war for more than 200 years. This policy had served it well through World War II, as neither Germany nor the Allies had attacked Sweden.
But the events in Ukraine have shocked Sweden. Support for Ukraine’s public opposition has increased, donations to help Ukrainian refugees are being collected. But more important than that is the Swedish government’s decision to send weapons to Ukraine. Stockholm sent out 5,000 anti-tank weapons manufactured by Saab, a well-known Swedish defense manufacturer. 5,000 each of helmets and body shields were also in the broadcast as well as 135,000 field rations.
Like Finland, most Swedes have previously wanted to stay out of the great power policy. But that view has undergone a dramatic change and a growing number of citizens want Sweden to join NATO. While the government in Finland seems to be enthusiastic, Sweden is a little more cautious. Nevertheless, the move has accelerated in recent weeks and there is talk of a “common leap” to apply for NATO membership by 12 May.
Both Sanna Martin from Finland and Magdalena Andersson from Sweden will meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on May 3 to discuss security issues and have a final conversation. The Foreign Ministers of Sweden and Finland had met in Helsinki on 29 April for preparatory talks. After the talks, Sweden’s Foreign Minister Ann Linde, Finland’s Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, said, “It is Finland’s wish that Finland and Sweden can adhere to the same timetable when it comes to applying for NATO membership,” Haavisto said at a news conference after the meeting with Linde.
This is exactly what the United States and its European allies wanted. It only seems to be a matter of time before Finland and Sweden formally join NATO. The Cold War was over in 1991, but NATO continues to expand and grew from a founding group of 12 members to 30 today. If Putin thought he could stop NATO on its tracks by invading Ukraine, he was wrong.