Major move: Finland and Sweden to join NATO?
Hot Air,
by
Jazz Shaw
Original Article
Posted By: Dreadnought,
4/10/2022 12:08:20 AM
During the first week of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, when Allahpundit was examining how Putin’s plan was already turning into a historic debacle, he speculated about one of the many unintended consequences Russia might be facing. He described how both Finland and Sweden had “resisted joining NATO for decades so as not to provoke Russia.” And it was a plan that had been working pretty well for them, at least until Putin apparently lost his mind. As recently as last October, Putin had been meeting with Finland’s president, Sauli Niinisto, to discuss bilateral agreements and climate change. But barely six months later, both Finland and Sweden are
Reply 1 - Posted by:
Dreadnought 4/10/2022 12:08:37 AM (No. 1124324)
Sweden has been proactive since February 24.
3 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
formerNYer 4/10/2022 12:24:34 AM (No. 1124328)
Russia is barely winning in the Ukraine, they already tried to attack Finland (Nov 1939) with disastrous results. Just like Hitler trying to fight on both his east and west flanks, russia would be fighting a 2-front war. I'm not saying there wouldn't be a tremendous number of casualties, but Russia would lose and the ultimate winner might be China.
5 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Wetenschapper 4/10/2022 4:06:19 AM (No. 1124357)
One of the primary reasons that the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand lead to the global conflict known as World War One, with nearly twenty belligerents, was that everybody was all treatied up. When Austria invaded Serbia, other countries were pulled into the fighting, like dominoes in reverse, by treaty obligations until most of Europe was fighting with itself.
10 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
NorthernDog 4/10/2022 8:54:15 AM (No. 1124469)
Other NATO members need to seriously consider how they would defend both nations. 10 years from now the Ukraine debacle could be in Russia's rear view mirror and the Kremlin re-invigorated.
2 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
stablemoney 4/10/2022 9:00:03 AM (No. 1124480)
Sweden and Finland would be well advised to stay neutral. Lying down with socialists dogs will only end in disaster for them.
9 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
TCloud 4/10/2022 9:22:11 AM (No. 1124504)
#5 Says it!
5 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
JackBurton 4/10/2022 9:33:53 AM (No. 1124517)
This is what exemplifies Unintended Consequences.
Of course, it would have been different if Putin could have swept thru the Ukraine like the U.S. did Iraq or Afghanistan. As one jihadi wag put it, people follow the strong horse.
1 person likes this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
red1066 4/10/2022 9:44:57 AM (No. 1124530)
Do the people in control of NATO really think that adding to Putin's paranoia is the best move at this time? For months we've been told that Putin attacked Ukraine because they didn't want the Ukraine to join NATO and then have a NATO country on the border of Russia. Yes, the Russian ground forces haven't looked all that great, but their missiles have worked fairly well, and with 6000 nukes, I don't know if poking the bear is the best move at this time. There is no reason for this kind of announcement at this moment, except to ramp up tensions at a time when the rhetoric should be heading in the opposite direction.
3 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
smokincol 4/10/2022 10:14:22 AM (No. 1124568)
sounds like a new "Iron Curtain" is being built but not by the Soviets - good work you socialists in Europe, good work.
3 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
MDConservative 4/10/2022 10:55:59 AM (No. 1124631)
Aggression doesn't always come in the form of actual war. NATO very aggressively pursued expansion after the Soviet collapse. Former Warsaw Pact nations saw NATO membership as a revenge strike against Russia. And the "aggression" continues. What will NATO do when Russia collapses after defeat in Ukraine and Putin is deposed? What will be its purpose?
4 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
mc squared 4/10/2022 11:41:18 AM (No. 1124691)
Two more NATO countries for us to support.
1 person likes this.
Given the historic hatred Finland has always shown Russia, I am surprised Finland hasn't joined long ago. But the nation that came up with the Russian tank destroying Molotov Cocktails probably know they don't need our help.
2 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
czechlist 4/10/2022 1:16:45 PM (No. 1124771)
#10 NATO was certainly an agressor in Bosnia and Libya without any threat to nir agression against a member. Today's defense alliance could turn offensive in the "humanitarian" world. Don't forget our Somalia adventure when it became politically popular.
0 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
Kumoan 4/10/2022 1:59:48 PM (No. 1124789)
One can hope that somewhere down the road Russia actually joins NATO because they share the longest, virtually undefended border with the real enemy, China. China is the premier enemy of the west, it's choosing after decades of western olive-branch outreach has been rejected. There can be rehabilitation of Russia but not of China.
Russia has serious social problems, and a crashed birth rate but it is the owner of that vast Siberian treasure chest, it also has some deep western roots. China will crush it at a time of it's choosing, without western alliance. If China takes Siberia we are doomed.
0 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
MDConservative 4/10/2022 2:13:40 PM (No. 1124795)
#13 - No argument. My post was in the context of Russia/Ukraine and Eastern Europe. Frankly, the US should commit to defending NATO's western flank, but the band should really be disbanding. Time to let Europe be Europe again.
1 person likes this.
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