Russia's invasion of Ukraine has pushed Finland and Sweden to the point of applying for NATO membership in the coming days. Both countries are close partners of the 30-nation alliance.
By joining NATO, Finland and Sweden would be abandoning a belief held for decades that peace was best kept by not publicly choosing sides, according to Reuters.
Both countries have taken part in NATO exercises for years. Any accession process is expected to be much shorter than previous applications to join the alliance since the 1950s, Reuters said.
NATO was founded in 1949.
Washington Elite Must Accept Defeat and Let Trump’s Clear Mandate Lead the Way
The United States has opened a new air defence base in Poland. Dubbed “Aegis Ashore”, the facility at Redzikowo is part of a broader NATO missile shield.
Germany is to hold snap elections next February after the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s ruling “traffic light” coalition of the SPD, Free Democratic Party, and Green Party.
