NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was formed in 1949. Created to provide security against the Soviet Union, it was originally an alliance between 12 countries, including the US, Canada, Portugal, France, the United Kingdom, and several Western European countries. By this time, there was much to determine regarding Germany and the reconstruction of countries that suffered economic and political destruction as a result of WWII. NATO was promoted as a way to prevent further wars from developing in Europe by creating a secure alliance. However, fear of Soviet expansion and a potential communist invasion was the primary purpose of this coalition. This battle between America’s protection of democracy and the Soviet Union’s communism would set the foundation for the Cold War. Especially now, with the recent attack on Ukraine by Russia, stemming from Vladimir Putin’s fear of a NATO eastern expansion.

Unsurprisingly, both Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership as soon as Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. Finland, considered weak in land and power, has a growing fear that it could be the next country to fall to Russia. Hence, to protect the country, its government officials deemed it necessary to make a move into NATO. With this, Finland now becomes the 31st country to join the organization.

Finland has been a close partner of NATO for several decades, but the nation didn’t believe that joining NATO was a necessity. With Russia expanding its power and territory, smaller countries, such as Finland, may find it very difficult to keep their land—and joining a national security alliance seems like the best option. Recently, the president of Finland talked about how joining NATO will maximize the country’s security and will strengthen the country’s international presence. Finland has been a long-time partner of NATO activities, so in the near future, Finland plans to make contributions to NATO’s defense. But how is Russia interpreting this?

Shifting perspectives, Russia also has its reasons for its recent aggression. President Vladimir Putin believes that countries such as Ukraine, which wanted to join NATO, would pose a greater threat to Russian security. Putin, upon hearing about Finland and Sweden’s potential membership into NATO, commented that this move was a mistake; he believes that the expansion of the alliance’s military is a security risk for Russia. Hence, as a response, there would be some countermeasures taken by Russia.

Essentially, this issue concerns national defense. Due to its fear of Russian opposition, Finland pushed for NATO membership. Feeling that NATO’s eastern expansion would threaten its security, Russia is starting to consider more aggressive action. So what comes next? Could we see more retaliation from Russian forces? Could we see more countries joining NATO? Only time will tell.

By Krish Saraf