As Finland prepares to become the 31e member of the North Atlantic Treaty, here is what to keep in mind regarding this membership.
By Isabelle Missiaen for Le Point (with AFP)
© CORTIER DANN / Belpress.com
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Ihe Finland officially joined NATO on Tuesday 4 April. After three decades of policy of non-alignment, the Scandinavian country made a strategic reversal following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It thus becomes the 31e member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg did not hesitate to speak of a “historic day”. Here’s what to remember about this new membership.
A historic turning point
By asking to join NATO in May 2022, Finland, accompanied in its approach by Sweden, broke with a policy of military non-alignment that had been in force since the 1990s, itself inherited from decades of neutrality. It was the Russian invasion of Ukraine that prompted the country to reconsider its historic strategy. The threat posed by Russia, a country bordering Finland, decided the latter to turn to the alliance led by the United States.
NATO gains a powerful army
Finland’s membership in NATO adds a powerful army to the forces of the Alliance and one of the missing pieces to the puzzle of the defense of its eastern flank, vulnerable in the event of a Russian attack. I’A defensive alliance led by the United States thus doubles its border with Russia and shakes up the military deal from the Baltic to the Arctic.
In addition, Finland has a powerful army. While other Western European armies downsized after the Cold War, Finland stuck to a conscription model devised after the Soviet Union-led invasion in 1939.
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” This now gives Finland the capacity to mobilize 280,000 troops in wartime and to count with a total reserve of 870,000 soldiers. »emphasizes Minna Alander, researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. ” With 1,500 pieces, Finland also has one of the largest artillery in Europe and continues to invest in air defense with the new American F-35 fighter. »
1,300 kilometers border with Russia to be protected
However, adding an additional 1,300 kilometers of land border with Russia inevitably involves vulnerabilities and securing Finland’s defense within the alliance is a challenge for NATO strategists. According to some analysts, to avoid provoking Moscow, Finland should follow the example of neighboring Norway and not allow NATO forces to be stationed permanently on its territory.
Russia has already announced to strengthen its military capacities on the border
“We will reinforce our military capacities in the west and in the northwest”, that is to say on the borders with Eastern Europe and Finland, indicated the Russian vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexandre Grouchko. “In the event of the deployment of forces and assets of other NATO members on Finnish territory, we will take additional measures to reliably ensure the military security of Russia”, he added, quoted by Russian news agency Ria Novosti.
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Sweden’s membership still pending
Sweden applied at the same time as Finland, but its accession is currently blocked by Turkey, which has still not given the green light. Asked about the issue, the head of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, however, was optimistic. ” I am absolutely confident that Sweden will also become a member. It is, for NATO, for me, a priority to ensure that this will happen as quickly as possible. »he said during a press briefing.