(10 FORTY-FIVE) – Finland, Sweden Close To Dropping Neutrality, And Join NATO – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was ostensibly to de-nazify the country and stop the eastward expansion of NATO. Now, instead of fracturing the alliance, as Russian President Vladimir Putin expected, NATO may be expanding.
Finland and Sweden, who have proclaimed neutrality for decades, are looking at the Russian aggression in Ukraine and are justifiably concerned for their own countries. And both are close to making a decision on joining NATO.
This would be a severe blow to Russian prestige and an unexpected reaction to the ongoing bloody fight in Ukraine. On Thursday, Finland’s president and the prime minister said that their country must apply to join the NATO military alliance as soon as possible.