If Finland and Sweden join NATO, it will redraw Europe's security map — and probably anger Russia
t’s likely to be the quickest NATO enlargement ever and one that would redraw Europe’s security map. Finnish leaders announced Thursday their belief that Finland should join the world’s biggest military organization because of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Sweden could soon follow suit.
The following is a brief look at what Finland and Sweden’s membership in the 30-country NATO alliance could mean, with the Nordic partners expected to announce their intention to join within days.Not neutral like Switzerland, Finland and Sweden traditionally think of themselves as militarily “nonaligned.”
Now they hope for security support from NATO states — primarily the United States — in case Moscow retaliates.NATO membership for the two, joining regional neighbors Denmark, Norway and Iceland, would formalize their joint security and defense work in ways that their Nordic Defense Cooperation pact hasn’t.
Finland and Sweden also join them, along with Iceland, at the heart of the triangle formed with the North Atlantic and maritime areas in the Arctic, to where Russia projects its military might from the northern Kola Peninsula. Integrated NATO military planning will become a lot simpler, making the region easier to defend.Finland and Sweden are NATO’s closest partners. They contribute to the alliance’s operations and air policing.
Finland says it’s already hit NATO’s defense spending guideline of 2% of gross domestic product. Sweden too is ramping up its military budget and expects to reach the target by 2028. The NATO average was estimated at 1.6% last year.Putin has demanded that NATO stop expanding and in his May 9 speech blamed the West for the war.If Finland joins, it would double the length of the alliance’s border with Russia, adding a further 1,300 kilometers for Moscow to defend.
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