**Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO has created a new Northern European strategic reality.**
Russia’s February 2022 assault on Ukraine forced Finland to reassess the foundations of its security doctrine, resulting in Helsinki’s bid to join NATO. After brief hesitation, a surprised Sweden followed its closest partner. The Nordic duo has received exceptional bipartisan support in the United States. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, for instance, called their accession “a slam dunk” for American security. The view was overwhelmingly shared in the Senate, which voted 95-1 to add Finland and Sweden to NATO. America’s allies have also welcomed their membership ambitions. By early October, twenty-eight of NATO’s thirty member states had ratified their entry into the transatlantic alliance.
Despite their close ties and many similarities, Helsinki and Stockholm will not be identical twins in NATO. Rather, their aims and interests once in the alliance will reflect their different strategic cultures and, more importantly, their dissimilar geostrategic locations. Whereas Sweden will be a crucial springboard for possible NATO operations in Northern Europe, including the Baltic Sea, Finland will be a frontline state, situated in the vicinity not only of St. Petersburg but also of the Kola Peninsula—home to Russia’s Northern fleet, and, more crucially, it’s nuclear second-strike capability.
Finland’s geostrategic position will turn it into NATO’s northeastern flank. In other words, Finland is not only a Baltic but also an Arctic power, and, as a NATO ally, it will connect the alliance’s eastern and northern flanks, significantly strengthening the allied foothold in NATO’s primary zones of friction with Russia. The way Finland is integrated into NATO will thus have a significant impact on how NATO’s deterrence and defense posture towards Russia evolves. Moreover, Finland’s (and Sweden’s) accession will potentially bring about a new division of labor in the Northern European theater.
**Finland as a Baltic Power**
The Baltic Sea region emerged as a potential NATO-Russia hotspot in the wake of Russia’s first invasion of Ukraine in 2014. As a response, NATO improved its readiness, drew up new regional operational plans, and, most notably, established multinational battlegroups to reassure the Baltic states and Poland. After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, NATO’s attention has more evenly been on the entire Eastern flank extending from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.
That said, the Baltic Sea region will remain susceptible to NATO-Russia tensions, as Moscow shows no signs of refraining from its aggressive behavior. The Baltic states have called for a permanent and more robust allied presence in the region. Major NATO allies, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, have deployed additional troops to reassure their Baltic allies. At the 2022 Madrid summit, NATO committed to scaling up the battlegroups to a brigade-level “where and when required” and prepositioning equipment for allied reinforcements.
Finland’s accession will improve NATO’s ability to defend the Baltic States, particularly Estonia. Finland’s airspace, territory, and seaports will be at the disposal of allied forces. The distance between Finland’s southern and Estonian’s northern coast is between 50 and 75 miles—well within the range of Finland’s evolving precision strike capabilities. Finnish high-level military leaders have already pointed out that Finland’s new F-35 stealth fighters’ long-range capabilities will be aimed at deterring Russia from carrying out major military build-ups in Finland’s vicinity—a fact that Russia needs to consider in its operational planning.
Finland will be NATO’s Northeastern Flank.
Does Finland accept people into their military from other countries, if needed?
At the moment Finland has the military might to defend itself against the Putins army. But for the future it’s a great move for the country.
This is a bigger deal for NATO than for Finland. Welcome!
Aka cannon fodder
Proud to say Sanna Marin will erect our eastern defence
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**Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO has created a new Northern European strategic reality.**
Russia’s February 2022 assault on Ukraine forced Finland to reassess the foundations of its security doctrine, resulting in Helsinki’s bid to join NATO. After brief hesitation, a surprised Sweden followed its closest partner. The Nordic duo has received exceptional bipartisan support in the United States. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, for instance, called their accession “a slam dunk” for American security. The view was overwhelmingly shared in the Senate, which voted 95-1 to add Finland and Sweden to NATO. America’s allies have also welcomed their membership ambitions. By early October, twenty-eight of NATO’s thirty member states had ratified their entry into the transatlantic alliance.
Despite their close ties and many similarities, Helsinki and Stockholm will not be identical twins in NATO. Rather, their aims and interests once in the alliance will reflect their different strategic cultures and, more importantly, their dissimilar geostrategic locations. Whereas Sweden will be a crucial springboard for possible NATO operations in Northern Europe, including the Baltic Sea, Finland will be a frontline state, situated in the vicinity not only of St. Petersburg but also of the Kola Peninsula—home to Russia’s Northern fleet, and, more crucially, it’s nuclear second-strike capability.
Finland’s geostrategic position will turn it into NATO’s northeastern flank. In other words, Finland is not only a Baltic but also an Arctic power, and, as a NATO ally, it will connect the alliance’s eastern and northern flanks, significantly strengthening the allied foothold in NATO’s primary zones of friction with Russia. The way Finland is integrated into NATO will thus have a significant impact on how NATO’s deterrence and defense posture towards Russia evolves. Moreover, Finland’s (and Sweden’s) accession will potentially bring about a new division of labor in the Northern European theater.
**Finland as a Baltic Power**
The Baltic Sea region emerged as a potential NATO-Russia hotspot in the wake of Russia’s first invasion of Ukraine in 2014. As a response, NATO improved its readiness, drew up new regional operational plans, and, most notably, established multinational battlegroups to reassure the Baltic states and Poland. After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, NATO’s attention has more evenly been on the entire Eastern flank extending from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.
That said, the Baltic Sea region will remain susceptible to NATO-Russia tensions, as Moscow shows no signs of refraining from its aggressive behavior. The Baltic states have called for a permanent and more robust allied presence in the region. Major NATO allies, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, have deployed additional troops to reassure their Baltic allies. At the 2022 Madrid summit, NATO committed to scaling up the battlegroups to a brigade-level “where and when required” and prepositioning equipment for allied reinforcements.
Finland’s accession will improve NATO’s ability to defend the Baltic States, particularly Estonia. Finland’s airspace, territory, and seaports will be at the disposal of allied forces. The distance between Finland’s southern and Estonian’s northern coast is between 50 and 75 miles—well within the range of Finland’s evolving precision strike capabilities. Finnish high-level military leaders have already pointed out that Finland’s new F-35 stealth fighters’ long-range capabilities will be aimed at deterring Russia from carrying out major military build-ups in Finland’s vicinity—a fact that Russia needs to consider in its operational planning.
Finland will be NATO’s Northeastern Flank.
Does Finland accept people into their military from other countries, if needed?
At the moment Finland has the military might to defend itself against the Putins army. But for the future it’s a great move for the country.
This is a bigger deal for NATO than for Finland. Welcome!
Aka cannon fodder
Proud to say Sanna Marin will erect our eastern defence