New NATO Baltic members
September 2022
Sweden and Finland have been two countries that have always been in a neutral position on defense issues. However, after the war in Ukraine, these two countries have felt threatened by their neighbor Russia. In this article I will explain the reasons why Finland and Sweden have decided to join NATO and why they have been neutral on defense issues all this time.
Sweden is a country whose foreign policy has been based on a marked neutrality since the 19th century. This positioning began with King Charles IV and later continued with subsequent Swedish rulers. However, this strong Swedish neutrality has not always been the case, it must be remembered that Sweden helped the Baltic countries to their independence and later helped in the first maneuvers of the Atlantic Alliance. However, it was this year that Sweden finally decided to stop playing that characteristic neutral role and ask NATO to join the organization. (Read more)