For decades, the two Nordic countries remained nonaligned. Now they have both requested to join NATO.
But now, just three months after Russia invaded Ukraine, both Finland and Sweden have abandoned those policies and formally requested to join NATO. On Wednesday, the two countries delivered letters to NATO’s headquarters in Brussels to mark the official start of the accession process.
It’s a move that will transform Europe’s security landscape and expand Russia’s border with NATO. Finland and Sweden, both functioning democracies with well-trained armies, will also gain protection under the alliance’s Article 5 collective defense mechanism.
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