On March 10, Foreign Policy published its biweekly “It’s Debatable” column featuring Scowcroft Center Vice President and Senior Director Matthew Kroenig and Emma Ashford assessing the latest news in international affairs.
In their latest column, Kroenig and Ashford center their discussion on NATO’s latest developments, with particular emphasis on Finland’s accession to the transatlantic alliance. They debate the ramifications of NATO’s expansion, the United States’ role within the alliance, and the role and efficacy of the alliance in the current global order. Additionally, the duo discuss Finland’s recent election and analyze how it will potentially influence Helsinki’s foreign policy decisions.
I think [Finland’s accession to NATO] is a major win… Once Sweden joins, which should happen soon, the Baltic Sea becomes a NATO lake… Russian President Vladimir Putin went to war to keep a country out of NATO and to divide the alliance. Instead, the alliance is stronger than ever with a very capable new member and another one likely on the way.
I’m honestly ambivalent about adding Finland to NATO, given how militarily capable the nation is… I oppose further NATO expansion in general. The alliance is already too large and unwieldy, too dependent on US resources, and the remaining potential candidates for membership all have serious problems, like territorial disputes within their borders.
