War in Ukraine: the stakes of a possible entry of Finland and Sweden into NATO

It’s a revolution. Finland and Sweden had always distinguished themselves by their neutrality in conflicts. They are preparing to join NATO. In northeastern Europe, Finland is a sparsely populated country, with 5.5 million inhabitants. But its location is strategic, with 1,300 km of common border with Russia. The Finns have always preferred to stay out of NATO, but the war in Ukraine has swung public opinion.

Three quarters of the inhabitants are now in favor of membership. “I think it’s a good thing, we have a neighbor who only respects strength”, says a Finn. On Thursday 12 May, the Finnish executive came out in favor of a “accession without delay”. Sweden should follow in the coming days. Joining NATO means securing the support of the United States and of all member states in the event of an attack. But in Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry threatens. An attack on the Finnish border seems excluded, but Russian planes regularly violate Swedish airspace. Finland and Sweden are expected to formally apply next week.