According to Scandinavia correspondent Jeroen Visser, Finland’s accession to NATO can be seen as the culmination of a year full of changes. Before the war, public opinion was mild about NATO membership and the impetus was not that great, but the situation changed completely with the war in Ukraine.
According to Visser, polls show that more than 85% of Finns were in favor of NATO membership, and that is what happened today. Interesting detail: Finland joins the 74th anniversary of the military alliance. “And now they feel much safer, because they are almost certain that Russia will never try anything again,” says Viser.
As a result of joining, NATO now has a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia, though Visser doesn’t expect this to lead to immediate problems. “It’s not a case of tanks suddenly heading towards the border or NATO bases being established on Finnish territory,” he continues. Or that’s not the expectation. Finland is now part of the NATO treaty and can therefore be included in the strategy. This is very important.’
Military highlight
By bringing Finland as a member of NATO, the military alliance is also bringing in a very strong and capable defense department, Visser knows. The Finnish Armed Forces are known to be very strong. In Finland they use total defense which means everyone fights in wartime. Also, there are tanks that can be deployed at strategic points in the country and there are bridges that can be blown up in an instant.
“NATO will be happy to have such a well-equipped ally”
These are also relics of the Finns’ wartime past with the Russians, Visser says. “Finland was therefore already extremely well prepared when it bought the last tanks from the Netherlands in 2015,” she continues. “Also, they recently ordered something like 60 F-35 fighter jets from the US, so NATO will be happy to have such a well-equipped ally.”
Arctic area
Growing Russian activity in the Arctic, which also includes the northern part of Finland, also plays a role in the situation, according to Viser. Although NATO is a defense alliance and therefore focuses on defending NATO territory, Northern Finland plays an important role when it comes to strategy. Especially since Russia has allocated a large part of its nuclear arsenal there. “This will certainly be taken into consideration.”
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
