FINLAND’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS NATO, 1991-2023
FINLAND’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS NATO, 1991-2023

Author(s): Kari ALENIUS
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Economy
Published by: Carol I National Defence University Publishing House
Keywords: international relations; foreign policy; security policy; history; Finland; NATO.
Summary/Abstract: During the Cold War, the Soviet Union forced Finland to adapt to the Soviet Union’s foreign policy and prohibited any public criticization about the policy the Soviet Union. Finland also did not have the opportunity to become a member of Western cooperation organizations, such as the EEC or NATO. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, conditions changed, and Finland decided to join the European Union in 1995. Finland still remained outside of NATO, while other Eastern European countries that had been occupied by or under pressure from the Soviet Union quickly applied for NATO membership. The decisive turn did not happen until February 2022, when Russia launched a large-scale attack against Ukraine. Finland submitted a membership application in May 2022 and was quickly accepted as a NATO member in April 2023.

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