Russia's actions have forced Finland to end decades of military neutrality, and Sweden is likely to follow. Because Russia has made one thing abundantly clear: if you're close to it, and you're not a NATO member, they will seize your territory by force. As they have done three times in the last 15 years.
NATO had been losing its raison d'etre, fading in importance in the minds of European countries. Their defence spending had slowed its growth, and NATO deployments to the East had wound down. Until it was given obvious urgency by a renewed threat--- resulting in the largest expansion the bloc has seen in decades.
Opponents of NATO expansion should be fucking livid at Russia.
On a side note, let's not forget that in 1939, the USSR unilaterally invaded Finland. The pretext for it was self defence (against a country that had hitherto never attacked the USSR), and its often believed that the true aim was annexation. The USSR went on to lose over 3 times as many men as the defending Finnish, resulting in a worldwide hit to its military credibility. Nonetheless, Russia still holds almost all the territory it seized.
Huh, sounds familiar somehow... anyway.
(Finland then entered into a military alliance with Nazi Germany to reclaim its lost territory-- who'd have thought that invasion and annexation by a foreign empire would actually foment the far right, rather than destroy it! Though even then, it did not actually declare war on the USSR until the USSR yet again bombed Finland first. And finally, they joined a military alliance with the USSR against Nazi Germany. Storied history which makes the prior military neutrality clear and contextual).
NATO had been losing its raison d'etre, fading in importance in the minds of European countries. Their defence spending had slowed its growth, and NATO deployments to the East had wound down. Until it was given obvious urgency by a renewed threat--- resulting in the largest expansion the bloc has seen in decades.
Opponents of NATO expansion should be fucking livid at Russia.
On a side note, let's not forget that in 1939, the USSR unilaterally invaded Finland. The pretext for it was self defence (against a country that had hitherto never attacked the USSR), and its often believed that the true aim was annexation. The USSR went on to lose over 3 times as many men as the defending Finnish, resulting in a worldwide hit to its military credibility. Nonetheless, Russia still holds almost all the territory it seized.
Huh, sounds familiar somehow... anyway.
(Finland then entered into a military alliance with Nazi Germany to reclaim its lost territory-- who'd have thought that invasion and annexation by a foreign empire would actually foment the far right, rather than destroy it! Though even then, it did not actually declare war on the USSR until the USSR yet again bombed Finland first. And finally, they joined a military alliance with the USSR against Nazi Germany. Storied history which makes the prior military neutrality clear and contextual).
