T he decision of Finland and Sweden to apply for membership of NATO is a damning rebuke to the strategic foresight of Russia’s president, Vladimir P

In applying to NATO, Finland and Sweden give the lie to Putin’s claims

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2022-05-16 11:30:16

T he decision of Finland and Sweden to apply for membership of NATO is a damning rebuke to the strategic foresight of Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin. Two countries proud of their long history of military non-alignment have come to judge that the risk of antagonising their neighbour is outweighed by the extra security they will gain from joining an alliance dedicated to resisting Russian aggression. It is the direct result of the invasion of Ukraine, which Mr Putin ordered ostensibly to forestall NATO’s expansion.

It is also a rebuke to those who argue that NATO shares in the blame for the war. Mr Putin is not alone in arguing that the alliance’s expansion into central and eastern Europe after the cold war somehow made Russia’s position intolerable. Plenty of Western scholars concur. However, the choice of Finland and Sweden suggests that they have the argument upside down. Countries seek to join NATO because they are threatened by Russia, not to antagonise it.

The news from Finland and Sweden came on May 15th, as NATO foreign ministers were meeting to discuss Ukraine and the alliance’s new strategic concept in the run-up to a summit next month. Despite grumbling from Turkey, their admission is likely to be a formality. When they join, both will bring formidable armed capabilities, notably in Arctic warfare and, in Finland’s case, the largest artillery force in Europe. These can rapidly be integrated into NATO’s command structure. Membership will more than double the length of the alliance’s border with Russia (see map). It will also strengthen its northern parts, especially the Baltic states, which will become easier to resupply and which, as members, both joiners will be pledged to defend.