Sweden’s NATO Membership: Europe’s Declaration of War on Russia
After Turkey approved Sweden’s membership in the NATO military alliance in January of this year, Hungary was the last NATO member country to agree to this country’s membership in the alliance. The membership of these two European countries, which had traditionally followed a policy of non-membership in any alliance and adhered to it even during the Cold War, was considered by Moscow as an important factor in ensuring stability in Northern Europe, and this was also accepted by European countries.
Now, with the membership of these two countries, although NATO has expressed satisfaction with what it calls deepening cooperation with Finland and Sweden, Russian officials have openly interpreted this move as creating enmity towards Russia. In such circumstances, two questions arise: The first question is what is the fundamental reason behind Sweden and Finland’s request, and what strategic consequences will their joining NATO have?
In response to the first question, it should be said that although international media efforts are being made to present the Russia-Ukraine war as the sole reason for the concern of these two Northern European countries and their decision to join NATO, and this forms part of the puzzle of reality, it is certainly not the whole reality.
If we look at the scene of strategic games of international powers a bit more broadly, we will realize that after the change in the US national security strategy in recent years and the shift in this country’s focus from the Middle East towards China and Russia, the effort to strengthen NATO and unify Europe against Russia to weaken one of these two rivals has been placed at the top of the United States’ strategic programs.
Therefore, the point to note is that the expression of interest by these two Scandinavian countries to join NATO was not merely a domestic decision based on their security needs, but was guided and supported by the United States. The signing of a new contract by Finland to purchase 64 F-35 aircraft from the US in February 2021 is solid evidence that strengthens this claim.
Accordingly, with Sweden and Finland joining NATO, the European Union, in the form of NATO, has positioned itself more than ever against Russia, and a kind of comprehensive pressure against Moscow is on the agenda, which is exactly what American officials are pursuing. Weakening Russia at the expense of allies. Thus, with the expansion of NATO and the strengthening of the military power of NATO’s European section, European participation in containing Russia increases, and the US can more freely focus on containing China.
However, in response to the second question about the strategic consequences of Sweden and Finland joining NATO, it must be said that this will lead to further expansion and strengthening of NATO and tightening the encirclement of Russia, and as a result, it will undoubtedly increase the security environment and level of tensions in the Northern Europe region.
Although Finland and Sweden do not have significant populations or military budgets, they possess modern armies and desirable military-industrial infrastructure, and in recent years, due to concerns about the Russian threat, they have also increased their military expenditures. Therefore, the membership of these two countries will strengthen NATO’s power and make it more comprehensive.
Russians clearly consider the accession of Sweden and Finland to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as a serious threat to themselves, and in the not too distant future, we will witness an arms and political confrontation between Russia and the Western front. Therefore, the expansion of NATO in new dimensions not only does not bring security and stability to European countries but also places them on the front line of confrontation with Russia and turns Europe into a tool for achieving the goals and interests of the United States, disrupting the political and economic development of the Green Continent and turning the Eastern and Northern Europe region into a new crisis-prone area on the global geopolitical map.
Sweden Ends Its 200-Year Tradition of Neutrality by Joining NATO
Some Swedes are worried that joining NATO might lead to a fundamental change in their national identity. Sweden’s accession to NATO ended its 200-year tradition of international neutrality, which had established Stockholm as one of the great mediators of peace and human rights advocates worldwide. The Russia-Ukraine war placed Swedes at a difficult crossroads: either face a highly aggressive neighbor alone or abandon their long-standing neutrality and join the Western military-security alliance. Nevertheless, some Swedes are concerned that joining NATO might lead to a fundamental change in their national identity.
From the efforts of Dag Hammarskjöld, former UN Secretary-General, to promote peace in Congo in the 1960s to Hans Blix’s role as chief UN weapons inspector in the years leading up to the Iraq War, Sweden’s neutrality allowed it to play an influential role in global conflicts.
Critics now worry that Sweden joining NATO will limit Stockholm’s options and force it to act in coordination with its allies. For example, Sweden’s efforts to appease Turkey for NATO membership have led Stockholm to take a tougher stance against Kurdish militants opposing Ankara. Over the past few decades, Sweden has moved closer to NATO and participated in this Western alliance’s operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Libya, and Iraq.
Russia Condemns Sweden’s NATO Membership
Russians clearly consider the accession of Sweden and Finland to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as a serious threat to themselves, and therefore, with the membership of these two countries in this military alliance, we will witness an arms and political confrontation between Russia and the Western front in the not too distant future.
Accordingly, deploying missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads on Russia’s border with Finland and other European countries by the Kremlin, attacking other European microstates that border Russia, using export cuts or raising energy prices as a tool of pressure on European countries, and of course, the Kremlin’s efforts to recruit and form a reciprocal military alliance are some of the strategies that Russia might pursue in response to this decision.
In recent days, the Russian embassy in Sweden announced in a statement that Russia will take retaliatory actions with a political, military, and technical nature to stop threats against its national security. This diplomatic mission noted that Sweden’s accession to NATO will negatively impact stability in Northern Europe. Russia declared that the Baltic Sea, contrary to the arrogant statements of Sweden’s future NATO relatives, will never become NATO’s internal sea.
The Kremlin has pointed out that Russia does not pose any threat, but it will not ignore actions that could potentially be dangerous to its national interests. Additionally, in recent years, Russia has pointed to unprecedented NATO activity near its western borders and has seriously warned against the containment approach towards Russia in line with the United States’ strategic strategy.
Moscow has repeatedly expressed concern about the increased presence of NATO military forces near its borders. At the same time, Russian officials have repeatedly stated that Moscow is still ready for dialogue with NATO, but on an equal basis, while the West should abandon the militarization of the European continent.