Sweden and Finland may soon become the newest memer of NATO, a move that would certainly enrage Russia and emphasize the country's geopolitical blunder in invading Ukraine, analysts said.
Since Russia's attack, NATO representatives have said that discourse about Sweden and Finland joining the confederation has intensified, and U.S. senior State Department officials said the issue came up at this week's NATO foreign general assembly.
The debates, according to officials, demonstrate how Vladimir Putin's assault has only served to re-energize and solidify NATO, which is the total contrast to Putin's stated intentions prior to the conflict.
Putin has requested NATO to cease its eastward expansion and acceptance of new members, stating that the union poses a security threat to Russia. NATO, on the other hand, has solidified its backing for Ukraine and is preparing to receive new members.
As Russia's war in Ukraine went on, public perception in both nations had swung substantially in favor of joining the defense pact, with one former Finnish Prime Minister claiming that the decision to join was essentially made on February 24, when Russia attacked.
"Another illustration of how this has been a strategic failure is through the public opinion in Finland and Sweden, and how their attitudes have shifted radically in the last six weeks," a senior U.S. State Department official said.
Sanna Marin, the Prime Minister of Finland, stated on Friday that her country's Parliament will consider possible NATO membership in the following weeks and that she expects the talks would be completed by mid-summer.
However, in an interview, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson did not consider the prospect of participation. According to a Swedish official, Sweden is conducting a security policy review that will be completed by the last week of May, and the government will publish its position following that assessment.
They stated that their country's position could be made public sooner, depending on when Finland does so. Mikko Hautala, Finland's ambassador to the United States, said the two countries work closely together but that each government will make its own choice.
A Finnish official said the country will not seek membership in NATO out of a desperate need for defense from the 30-member organization. Moscow's actions in Ukraine, on the other hand, have compelled Finland to reconsider its principles.
If Sweden and Finland join NATO, the Kremlin said Thursday that it would have to rebalance the situation.
