Finland joining Nato signals escalation of war drive

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visits prime minister of Finland, Sanna Marin (Picture: NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization/Flickr)

Europe became a more dangerous place on Monday as Finland joined the West’s Nato military alliance. It marked a further acceleration of the drive towards direct armed confrontation—and war—between Nato and its rival Russia.

For decades, Finland had been a supposedly neutral state between an uneasy rivalry between Nato members in Europe and Russia.

But since Russia invaded Ukraine last year, countries in Europe have been pulled into two increasingly militarised and aggressive camps. Now Nato has a military force right on Russia’s border.

Finland only applied to join Nato last year. The process for joining normally takes years, with every member of Nato having to approve. This time it was fast tracked. And neighbouring Sweden could soon follow.

Finland had to promise to crack down on Kurdish resistance activists living there in order to satisfy Nato member Turkey—which wages war on Kurds.

It also has to commit to spend billions every year on being constantly prepared for war. So its new right wing government—elected just as its application to join was approved—suits Nato very well.

For Nato leaders, this is a victory for the West’s ambitions to further expand into Europe. As the alliance’s secretary general Jens Stoltenberg crowed earlier last month, “President Putin invaded Ukraine with the declared goal of having less Nato in Europe. He is getting exactly the opposite. There will be more Nato in Europe”.

Nato has long been seeking to expand and grow, with the open aim of containing the West’s military and economic challenger Russia. Since 1990 13 countries have joined Nato, and its border has moved 800 miles to the east. Nato has also sought to increase its “interoperability”—the ability to fight wars together—with others. This has involved arming and training up militaries and garrisoning soldiers all around Europe in readiness for war.

This process over several years led to the start of the war in Ukraine last year. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has only accelerated that process.

For its part, Russia has threatened to station tactical nuclear missiles inside its ally Belarus, closer to Nato countries. It responded to Finland’s entry into Nato by saying it would boost its own military strength in the areas close to Finland.

It raises the frightening prospect of an armed standoff between Finnish and Russian soldiers across the border.

There’s nothing “defensive” about any of this—on either side. It is escalation by two competing powers prepared to tear the world apart for military and economic dominance in Europe.

The way to end the war drive is to break the cycle. That means not cheering for Nato’s expansion—but demanding its end.