How Vladimir Putin Saved NATO
The wit and wisdom of Samuel Johnson offers a broad explanation of why Sweden will soon follow Finland into the Alliance: “When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” At the same time, NATO was never as sclerotic as even some Western leaders claimed in recent years.
HAMBURG – When Finland cleared the last hurdle for NATO membership last week, major Western newspapers buried the story. Yet Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto justly celebrated “these historic days” – the end of 75 years of neutrality. As of this week, Finland is formally in, and Sweden, another eternal neutral, will soon follow, once Turkey stops blocking its membership.