Finland and Sweden have officially applied to join NATO. The entry of the two Nordic nations would be a direct geopolitical consequence of the widespread invasion of Ukraine… and with unpredictable results. For now, it would mean hundreds of kilometers of direct alliance borders with Russia would emerge overnight. Borders that are also on European territory (Finland actually has the longest border within the European Union with Russia). Additionally, it marks the end of several decades of neutrality or non-alignment, as well as closer proximity to the United States.
Moscow announced this last Friday for the time being will open more than ten military bases in the west of the country amid rising tensions following the decision published by its Nordic neighbors. In reality, the Kremlin is more concerned about a military operation than the fact that Helsinki and Stockholm will become members of the alliance. The governments of both countries have received broad parliamentary support for plans to bid for NATO membership and believe this will serve to strengthen their security.
In ‘The Information’ we asked all these questions Gustavo Palomares Lerma, European Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Political Science and Sociology at UNED. His vision from academia addresses the transformation process of its strategic concept undertaken by the Alliance before the invasion, as well as the fact that the European Union must ask itself uncomfortable but necessary questions … for as long as the conflict lasts and regardless of its final exit. In addition, it proposes recovering a concept or idea that arose as soon as the disintegration of the Soviet Union took place, that of the “common European home”.