Finland officially joins NATO
On April 5, 2023, Finland officially became a member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; the West’s premiere defense pact that vows for member states to defend one another.
The decision came after not long after Turkey finally approved of Finland’s bid to join the pact at the end of March.
Finland had refrained from joining NATO since its original conception, but Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine left Finland in a weird spot; remain “neutral” and potentially be Russia’s next victim or seek alignment with NATO and benefit from mutual defense. When the question of NATO expansion rose, the question of how Russia would respond seems to fall short of the list of concerns.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was not as unexpected as the media would have the world believe, but it was certainly unprovoked. Those hostile actions leave nations on Russia’s borders questioning whether or not they may be next. In Finland’s case, there is historical evidence to suggest so. It is with these considerations in mind that we can view this NATO expansion as a convenient response to provocation.
With the addition of Finland to NATO, the alliance adds upwards of 800 miles of border with Russia that need defended. In terms of military strength, Finland adds a spending budget of approximately $6 billion along with a wartime-ready force of nearly 300,000. With this in mind, Finland will already be contributing 2% of its GDP to defense; a goal NATO has set for all its members.
Having learned from their former conflict with the USSR, Finland’s military “punches above its weight,” providing NATO will a strong armor and artillery-centric force. In addition, Finland is currently working on modernizing its Air Force as it is looking to begin fielding American F-35 fighters in 2026.
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What do you think? Does Finland provide substantial capabilities to NATO, or was the decision more of a political one? Does the decision serve as viable deterrence against Russia, or will Putin view this as cause for escalation?
Let me know in the comments.
