EXPLAINER: Why Finland, Sweden joining NATO will be big deal
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Summary
Sweden could soon follow suit.Should they apply for membership, the move would have far-reaching ramifications for Northern Europe and trans-Atlantic security.No doubt, it will also anger their large neighbor Russia, which blames, at least in part, its war in Ukraine on NATO’s continued expansion closer to its borders. The Kremlin said Thursday that it certainly won’t improve European security.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.FINLAND AND SWEDENNot neutral like Switzerland, Finland and Sweden traditionally think of themselves as militarily “nonaligned.” But Russia’s war in Ukraine and Putin’s apparent desire to establish a Moscow-centered “sphere of influence” has shaken their security notions to the core. But public opinion in Finland and Sweden suggests that he has driven them into NATO’s arms.
As said here by LORNE COOK