NATO ISN’TA HARD SELLFOR SWEDES AND FINNS... RUSSIA HAS LONG BEEN A MENACE
THERE is more to Finland’s bid to join Nato and the friendship treaty with the UK than meets the eye. Sweden is expected to follow in joining Nato. The Anglo-Swedish understanding, also signed by Boris Johnson during his lightning tour of Scandinavia, paves the way — and also hints at a lot more.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has finally tipped public opinion in both traditionally neutral countries. But it is the occasion and not the cause of the move. It has been in the works for some years. For decades Finland and Sweden have been prodded, raided and provoked by Russian forces in cyber attacks, physical incursions including Spetsnatz special forces recce raids into Finland, and submarine probes into Swedish home waters.
Finns and Swedes, like their Nato neighbours, Norway, the Baltics and Poland, also realise the Ukraine conflict could grind on for years. Their situation gets more precarious as Vladimir Putin’s threats become wilder. Despite the bluster, he has succeeded in strengthening Nato right on Russia’s border and in the Baltic. With Finland, he now has more than 800 miles more of land border with a Nato partner. The UK’s agreement with Finland emphasises the need to work together in a range of fields from cyber to electronic warfare, and securing the Arctic. Above all it pledges exchanges in exercises and training — where Finland has a lot to offer — especially to the UK.
Technically it has standing forces of just under 20,000 out of a population of 5.5 million. But it can call up a reserve for all security duties of 285,000 in weeks. This is part of the concept of “total defence”, updated as the national strategy last year. Specialist reserves can be used for a range of resilience roles from repelling invaders, cyber attacks and helping out in disasters.
Joining Nato is not a hard sell for the Swedish and Finnish people despite what the horror show of Kremlin propaganda may say. Learning and sharing with the Finns and Swedes, may also enhance the value of the forces and the reserves to Britain’s civil security and resilience. It’s time the political class and the commentariat caught up.