News | David Wu | April 19th, 2023.
Our land, our land, our fatherland, Sound loud, O name of worth! The Finnish flag dances in the Brussels wind as the national anthem plays. Finland joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as the thirty-first military alliance member on April 4th, 2023, an incredible moment for the Western allies as the world observed the most extensive European warfare since WWII, the Russo-Ukrainian War. Finland’s admission to NATO placed a checkmate on Putin’s aversion to NATO's eastward expansion.
Quick background check on NATO: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military alliance established in 1949 to protect the freedom and security of European countries, initially formed as a response to deter a Soviet attack on its member states. Since its inception, NATO has evolved to include many more countries, and its mission has shifted from defense to collective security. NATO now serves as a forum for political cooperation and consultation on security issues. Russia has had a complex relationship with NATO over the years and been both a partner and a detractor. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union was a primary adversary of NATO; its presence in Eastern Europe led to increased tensions -- with a few close calls to WWIII. In the 1990s, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia was invited to join NATO's Partnership for Peace program, which provided a framework for military cooperation and consultation. However, Russia's relationship with NATO has become increasingly strained in recent years. Russia has been critical of NATO's expansion into Eastern Europe and accused the alliance of violating international law with its military interventions. In response, NATO has increased its military presence in the area and conducted military exercises. This led to greater insecurity in the Russian leadership, especially regarding fears that Russia’s neighbor, Ukraine might join NATO. This is widely believed to be the chief spark for the Russo-Ukrainian conflict -- to keep NATO fireworks distant from the Russian doors.
However, Finland’s participation in NATO sends the fireworks straight onto the Kremlin’s doorsteps. After an overwhelming majority of nearly 80 percent approval, the Finnish citizens asked the government to join NATO after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Overnight, the border between NATO and Russia doubled; Finland also brought a well-armed and trained fighting force of 280,000 soldiers to the collective NATO arsenal with some of the deadliest sniper forces on the planet. US ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said, “Finland's a terrific ally, very capable, shares our values and we expect a seamless transition into its proper seat at the table.” The NATO application process for Finland underwent several hiccups, notably from the Turkish government (all members of NATO must approve an applicant for it to be admitted); nonetheless, the governments reached the necessary consensus and welcomed the thirty-first NATO member.
Hopefully, soon, Sweden will join NATO as the thirty-second NATO member. The nation applied alongside Finland but faced more challenges from the Turkish and Hungarian governments. The admission of two crucial economic Nordic nations into NATO may strengthen European and global security, possibly forshadowing the end of armed conflict in Europe.