Finland, Sweden Apply for NATO Membership, Breaking Decades of Neutrality
An Arrow 22 exercise in Niinisalo, Finland.JUUSO WESTERLUND/INSTITUTE FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Finland and Sweden formally applied for NATO membership on Wednesday, a move that, if approved, would fundamentally transform the security landscape of Northern Europe and give the alliance a valuable edge against Russia following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The two Nordic countries’ bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization breaks with a decadeslong defense doctrine that has seen them balance political and security partnerships with other Western nations while staying out of formal military alliances.
Finnish Ambassador to NATO Klaus Korhonen and his Swedish counterpart Axel Wernhoff personally handed the applications to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels on Wednesday morning, according to live footage broadcast on Finnish television.
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