Trump's election so far reduces the chances of NATO expansion to Finland and Sweden
The prospect of Finland joining NATO is unlikely; only 25% of the population supports this idea. The representative of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies (RISI) in the Nordic countries, Johan Beckman, announced this today at a press conference in Moscow.
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“Only 25% of Finns support membership. True, before there were even fewer of them - 20%. The authorities cannot make a decision to join NATO without taking into account the opinion of the people. NATO itself takes this factor into account. To raise this question, the popularity of the alliance must be more than 50%. Only when the level of support reaches 40-45% will the propaganda for accession be carried out more aggressively,” Beckman said
The situation is completely different in Sweden. Since 2013, the level of support for NATO in this country has increased from 23-25 to 49%. The main reason for such statistics is the aggressive anti-Russian information campaign that is being waged in the country, says Grigory Tishchenko, head of the Center for Euro-Atlantic and Defense Studies at RISS.
“Almost half of Swedes are in favor of the country joining NATO. An active campaign campaign is currently underway. Delegations keep coming in and agreements are being concluded. Sweden is becoming more and more involved in various exercises in the Baltic countries and the Baltic Sea. The share of the population supporting NATO is gradually growing,” Tishchenko said.
At the same time, the expert noted, until the 2018 parliamentary elections and the change of government, a decision on joining the Alliance will not be made.
Igor Nikolaychuk, head of the regional security sector at the Center for Euro-Atlantic and Defense Studies at RISS, believes that after the election of US President Donald Trump, Sweden’s entry into NATO is unlikely.
“Now there are identical headlines in the media of Sweden and Estonia. Why do we need NATO if the USA is not there? Who will protect us, Denmark? It is pointless. The mood there is panicky. The question is what Trump will actually do, but against this background, the prospects for Sweden joining NATO are heading towards zero. Finland will forget about this like a bad dream,” Nikolaychuk said.
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