Joining NATO in the Nuclear Age

We do not question for one second why Finland, looking at what is happening in Ukraine, sees membership in NATO as the best means of ensuring its security. Nor do we justify Russia’s brutal and incompetent invasion in any way. But geography matters. Finland’s lengthy border with Russia puts it on the front line in future nuclear showdowns between East and West. This would be one thing if the US had adopted a defensive, No-First-Use deterrent policy; instead, its pursuit of nuclear supremacy creates genuine fear in Moscow and increases the possibility of war. A promised benefit of Finland and Sweden joining NATO was that the Nordic countries could exert influence on the alliance’s overall policies. However, with its overnight ascension, one wonders whether Finland has ceded this chance for influence already.