Finnish and Swedish accession to NATO has not redirected the path of the ongoing military operations in Ukraine, states military analyst Viktor Litovkin in an interview with a public news service. He notes that Helsinki and Stockholm had no real cause to engage Russia in conflict, so there was no imminent threat to the Leningrad region or other Russian territories.
According to Litovkin, joining NATO means aligning with the strategic posture of the United States, rather than obtaining guaranteed protection. He stresses that formal membership does not automatically translate into security guarantees for neighboring states, and highlights Russia’s nuclear capabilities as a deterrent. The analyst adds that the addition of new NATO members does not reshape Russia’s strategic calculus in a way that would allow a gamble with regional stability.
Litovkin also points to Finland’s long-standing economic ties with Russia, noting that this cooperation has yielded significant financial benefits for Helsinki and its business interests. He underscores that cooperation fundamentals persist even as political alliances shift, and that economic pragmatism remains a factor in the relationship between Russia and Finland.
Subsequently, Finland’s official NATO membership was confirmed, and the alliance flag was raised at the General Staff of the Finnish armed forces to mark the moment. The alliance’s secretary general emphasized that Article 5 of the Washington Treaty would apply to Finland from that point forward, signaling a commitment to collective defense among NATO members.