Posted on 04/08/2022 9:38:36 AM PDT by blam
Last weekend saw Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin signal a complete reversal of policy direction, saying that a “new security environment” in Europe brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine means the country has to rethink its long-standing policy of neutrality toward the NATO bloc. “Russia is not the neighbor we thought it was,” she said of Moscow’s ongoing assault on Ukraine, calling it a “flagrant violation”.
“In this new situation and changed security environment, we’ll have to evaluate all means to guarantee the safety of Finland and Finns,” Marin said. “We’ll have to seriously mull over our own stance and approach to military alignment. We’ll have to do this carefully but quickly, effectively during the course of this spring.”
Days after these words which Moscow saw as highly provocative, Axios in a new report says Finland’s ascendancy to the alliance appears “imminent”. “Public support and political momentum for Finland joining NATO has reached an all-time high as a result of the war in Ukraine, raising the very real possibility that the alliance’s borders with Russia could extend by more than 830 miles in a matter of months,” the report says. It could be a mere weeks away.
NATO military exercise near Namsos, Norway. Image: US Marine Corps
Sweden is also mentioned in the report as being positioned to seek entry into NATO alongside Finland. This after NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg’s open invitation this week. He suggested both Nordic countries would be fast tracked. He remarked this week that he expects “all 30 allies to welcome” Finland and Sweden should they choose to apply.
And according to Axios, “60% of Finns now support joining NATO, according to a survey conducted last month — a 34-point jump from last fall, and the highest level since polling on the issue began in 1998.”
Finland’s former prime minister, Alexander Stubb, articulated the current climate and thinking in Helsinki. “I think Finns at the moment are driven by what I call rational fear,” he told Axios.
“You have to balance between realism and idealism. Realism is that you have a strong standing military as we have, and idealism is to try to cooperate with a big neighbor,” he explained.
“Finland is driven by rational fear… that’s why we’ll join NATO.” Former Finnish Prime Minister and Director at @STGEUI @alexstubb tells @EleniGiokos about Finland’s decision to fast-track its application for NATO membership: pic.twitter.com/Z7iUyxKMZZ
— Connect the World (@CNNConnect) April 8, 2022
Stubb added: “There has been this bona fide attempt to forge a functioning relationship with Russia, and now that people see that that is impossible — especially under [President Vladimir] Putin — they’ve changed their opinion.”
Finland has over the years regularly hosted and participated in NATO exercises, while also seeking to pursue transparent and positive relations with Moscow.
If they apply and then get invaded I’ll have to laugh since Russia has never shown any indication that they consider either of the countries to be a threat.
Right now I don't think Russia is in a condition to invade anyone else for a while, and having withdrawn units from Kaliningrad it would be even more foolish for Russia to attack NATO.
"The Winter War,[F 6] also known as the First Soviet-Finnish War, was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland. The war began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peace Treaty on 13 March 1940."
Finland was on course to joining NATO since 2014. And for obvious reasons. They’ve already held joint exercises with NATO forces and most recently in Cold Response 2022.
Sweden still has some integration issues to resolve but their military capability is no joke and they’d definitely be a boost to NATO firepower.
Just my own opinion here, but I would not be surprised to see both join NATO before the end of this calendar month.
Surround Kaliningrad with tanks. That would get their attention.
Why not join NATO, its practically free if you are not the USA
It’s looking more and more like Vlad has really stepped in it. He sized up Brandon pretty well but misjudged everyone else, including his own army!
The existence of NATO also stops even NATO members from thinking about attacking other NATO members. So it's not just external threats.
“If they apply and then get invaded I’ll have to laugh since Russia has never shown any indication that they consider either of the countries to be a threat.”
Two Russian warplanes armed with nukes violated Swedish airspace (not just their ADIZ) last month.
And Russia has issued numerous threats at both Finland and Sweden should they join NATO. The effect of said threats being to cause these two countries to actively seek NATO membership.
Sweden in particular punches way above their weight and should Russia attack Sweden the Swedish policy is to bring the war to Russia. And they absolutely can deliver on that policy.
“The existence of NATO also stops even NATO members from thinking about attacking other NATO members.”
True. Greece and Turkey would have been at war many times in the past few years without the stabilizing influence of NATO.
I was clearly talking about WWII...
Not sure why you’re trying to convince me of how weak Russia is. They are apparently so weak that the NATO MUST expand.
I guess you’re making Putin’s point, aren’t you?
Someone has to ask the Russians.. what exactly is a “threat” to Russia ? Some country threatening to invade and occupy Russian territory ? Or fire nuclear missiles into Russia for no reason ?
I’m good with all of the Nordic countries of Scandinavia being in NATO.
Countries with attractive women should be aligned in every way possible.
I think NATO on their borders is their line. They’ve been consistent. I dont pay much attention and even I’m aware of this.i suspect it’s pretty east to avoid war with Russia and its pretty easy to get into a war with Russia. NATO is purposefully antagonizing Russia. Obviously something so incredibly shady is happening between D.C and Ukraine. It’s obvious. They are always in the mix. They ran an impeachment through Ukraine...probably also not a coincidence. Corruption abounds
Russia was sending warplanes to probe Sweden recently.
They have have been threatening to take Finnish islands open up Konnesberg (or Kalingrad as they call it)
So right now, Russia is that guy at the bar who decided to fight the little guy who annoyed him. Now all the other people are looking at him like “Do we fight him now or later?”
Because Russia will push west.
I've had similar thoughts.
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