Sweden and Finland from Neutrality to NATO: The Strategic Transformation of European Security

Abstract

The political geography of Scandinavia has undergone remarkable transformations over the past century, pushing the states like Finland and Sweden into the spotlight of International relations discourse. This study examines the shifting dynamics of European security structures as a result of Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership. In May 2022, both countries revealed their plan of joining NATO. This was a radical turnaround in both states’ security and foreign policies, but a rational outcome of their European Union membership and strong association with NATO in the post–cold war period. Finland became a NATO member on April 4, 2023 and Sweden joined on March 7, 2024, broadening the alliance to 32 member states. The paper further analyzes that for both nations, the primary factor behind joining the NATO alliance was the necessity for enhanced strategic stability in response to Russian military aggression against Ukraine. Finnish and Swedish inclusion in NATO redefined the European security architecture and signified a turning point for these traditionally neutral and militarily nonaligned states who strived to balance cultural, political and economic relations with Russia and the West for decades. Moreover, it is arduous to comprehend the immediate change in their traditional military nonalignment position without taking into consideration the significant public outrage in both countries as a reaction to Russia’s unjustified aggression against Ukraine.