DISINFO: Finland as a NATO member will turn into an anti-Russian springboard
SUMMARY
As a new member of the North Atlantic Alliance, Finland is doomed to repeat the destructive experience of the Baltic countries and Poland. It will inevitably turn into an anti-Russian springboard for the deployment of foreign troops, and will lose good neighbourliness with the Russian Federation, which for 78 years has been the basis of national security.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative in pro-Kremlin disinformation ecosystem about Finland’s membership in NATO. Additionally, this disinformation narrative attempts to paint NATO as an aggressive, anti-Russian alliance.
Finland has traditionally maintained a steady position of good neighbourly relations with Russia. However, Finland recognised that the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 fundamentally changed its security environment.
The Finnish government provided official arguments for NATO membership:
NATO membership will strengthen stability and security in Finland and throughout the Baltic Sea region and Northern Europe. Finland’s strong defence capabilities and resilience to crises will also strengthen NATO and the collective defence of the Alliance.
On 18 May 2022, Finland and Sweden simultaneously handed in their official letters of application to join NATO, a momentous step for the two historically militarily non-aligned countries.
Russia's unprovoked attack led to a massive shift on public opinion towards the Atlantic Alliance in Finland: while prior to the invasion only 24 percent of Finns expressed support for joining NATO, this figure jumped to 74 percent shortly afterwards, and to 85 percent at the moment of its actual entrance. A similar trend took place in Sweden for the same reasons.
The leaders of both countries have made it clear that the decision to apply for membership is a direct consequence of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.
Finland officially became the 31st member of NATO on April 4, 2023.
See related disinformation claims, alleging that Sweden and Finland are being dragged into NATO and forced to wage a war against Russia, Finns, Swedes unlikely to support NATO membership because well-being will decline, Most Finns are against NATO membership; neutrality is key to security.