NATO is Getting a Little Bigger
Image: Daily Mail
Finland’s leaders said yesterday that they’re in favor of swiftly applying for membership to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a military alliance between the US, Canada, and 28 other European nations.
- A few steps still remain before the formal application process can begin, but the joint announcement by Finland’s president and prime minister means the country’s NATO membership is all-but-guaranteed.
- Its Nordic neighbor, Sweden, is also expected to apply shortly; both countries hope to join the military alliance as soon as this summer.
🌍 Background… Unlike Switzerland, which historically has remained “neutral” and refused to join any military conflict, Finland and Sweden have traditionally thought of themselves as militarily “nonaligned” – i.e., willing to engage in a war, but not bound to defend any other nation. Both countries committed troops to recent military missions in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq.
- Support for NATO membership in Finland has hovered around 20-30% for years. It currently stands at over 75% following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with similar numbers also seen in Sweden.
📸 Big picture: Finland has the longest border with Russia in the entire EU (830 miles). Its admittance into NATO would more than double the alliance's borders with Russia – a longtime fear of President Vladimir Putin, who has said one of his reasons for invading Ukraine was to prevent a neighboring country from joining NATO.
- Russia’s foreign ministry issued a statement yesterday sharply criticizing Finland’s decision, warning that Moscow “will be forced to take retaliatory steps, both of a military-technical and other nature.”
What's next?: See the 360° view →
From the Left
- Many commentators on the Left argue that NATO should welcome Sweden and Finland with open arms since adding two well-developed and well-armed countries would ultimately strengthen the alliance.
- Others contend that Putin himself is to blame for Nordic countries’ desire to join NATO, pointing to recent polling that shows there was little public support for doing so until Putin invaded Ukraine.
“In addition to the military setbacks Ukraine’s forces have inflicted on Russia, Mr. Putin’s aggression has also backfired by raising the likelihood that NATO will, indeed, expand to his borders — via membership for Finland and Sweden. This is a prospect that the United States and the rest of the alliance should welcome…
As recently as 2021, Finnish public opinion was cool to NATO membership, with only 24 percent in favor, according to an annual government survey. Russian cross-border aggression against Ukraine — and the prospect of more — has changed Finnish attitudes dramatically. Now, support for NATO membership exceeds 60 percent in unofficial surveys…
Finland has an 830-mile border with Russia, which would become the new front line between NATO and Mr. Putin’s realm. For the United States, this is no small consideration, given the prospective obligation to defend new Nordic NATO members from outside attack…
Both Sweden and Finland already work closely with NATO. As full members, they would readily integrate into its command structure and be more than capable of sharing the collective defense burden. They would add substantial resources — financial, diplomatic and military — to the alliance. The result would be a stronger NATO deterrent, making war less likely in Europe.
Finnish and Swedish accession would have to clear procedural hurdles, starting with the two countries’ own parliamentary debates and votes. The U.S. Senate, too, ultimately would have to weigh in. A strong “yes” vote would signal yet another defeat for Mr. Putin.”
“Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine has backfired on a number of fronts. But one of the most disastrous consequences of all for the Russian President is the increasingly likely prospect of Finland joining NATO…
If this plays out as expected, this country of under 6 million people will have redrawn the European security map in a way that was previously inconceivable and may have tremendous consequences for Russia…
Russia currently shares about 755 miles of land border with five NATO members, according to the alliance. Finland's accession would mean that a nation with which Russia shares an 800-mile border would become formally militarily aligned with the United States.
Not only would this be bad news for the Kremlin, but the addition of Finland would be quite a boon for NATO. Despite its relatively small population, Finland is a serious military power that has been unofficially aligned with the West for decades. Its military has for decades used equipment purchased from the United States that is compatible with NATO allies, meaning it could easily join NATO missions should it choose to do so…
There is no doubt that Finland joining NATO would be a major blow to Putin. Not only would it mean those extra 800 miles of shared border with the alliance, but symbolically it would go further in uniting the anti-Putin coalition that has emerged since the invasion of Ukraine.”
From the Right
- Many commentators on the Right argue that NATO should welcome Sweden and Finland with open arms since adding two well-developed and well-armed countries would ultimately strengthen the alliance.
- Others contend that NATO should move as swiftly as possible to admit Sweden and Finland in order to close any window of opportunity Russia may exploit before the two countries are covered under the alliance.
“One lesson of Russia’s assault on Ukraine is that NATO continues to be vital to European security. Would Ukraine be under siege today if it were a member of the alliance? This is something to keep in mind as discussions about Sweden and Finland pursuing membership advance…
Whether to join NATO is up to Finland and Sweden, but the idea that the act of joining is destabilizing is mistaken. Tensions could increase in the short term simply because Vladimir Putin would be upset that the defense alliance is larger, but a Europe with better defenses is inherently more stable…
​​Current NATO members always have to ask if admitting a country makes the alliance stronger. The answer is yes for Sweden and Finland. Both countries are “enhanced opportunities partners” with NATO: They train with alliance forces and increasingly use interoperable equipment. Their strategic position would help NATO in a war with Russia in the Baltic Sea.
Sweden doesn’t have a land border with Russia and isn’t at risk of invasion as Ukraine or Georgia were. Although defense spending is well below NATO’s 2% of gross domestic product target, it has been growing and Stockholm said it will reach 2%. As a wealthy and technologically advanced country, it could afford to do more and would contribute to the alliance.
Finland shares an 830-mile border with Russia and has a history of being invaded by its eastern neighbor. But it takes the threat seriously and can punch above its weight. The country of 5.5 million has roughly the same number of reservists as Germany, population 83 million. In February Helsinki finalized a deal to buy 64 F-35 jets by 2030…
“[Both countries] should be welcomed into the alliance if they decide to go for it.”
“Finland and Sweden will soon apply for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Once they do, the allies will first deliberate collectively and then begin a member-by-member ratification process. They should proceed quickly to close any window of opportunity Russia might exploit before these two applicants are covered by NATO’s Article 5 mutual-defense commitment and America’s nuclear umbrella…
Both are members of America’s largest trade and investment partner, the EU. Sweden has the ninth-largest economy in the 27-member EU, Finland the 15th. Both are home to advanced manufacturing and vibrant tech startup communities.
Finland and Sweden are among the world’s most robust democracies. The greatest threat to freedom in Europe today is Russia, which has invaded neighboring democracies like Ukraine and Georgia and made efforts to undermine democracy across the Continent. Given their proximity to this threat, Finland and Sweden clearly understand this…
When it comes to burden-sharing, Finland and Sweden have already proved themselves up to the task. If they join the alliance, it will mark the first time since Spain’s 1986 accession that NATO will expand to countries that likely will be net contributors to security. Both countries decided to increase defense spending recently, despite the challenges created by the pandemic-induced recession…
Allied membership for Finland and Sweden deserves careful consideration and deliberation. Nonetheless, it seems clear that from the perspective of the U.S. and its allies, Finnish and Swedish membership would strengthen NATO at a time when its values and interests are under threat.”
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