It’s time to NATO NATO
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) has been in regular news since January 2022 when Russia initiated the invasion of Ukraine. While the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to roll, the event of past 1 week could indicate that a change might be about to come in the world of conflicts. On 7th March 2024, Sweden became the 32nd nation to become part of NATO and this spells a win for both Sweden and NATO. NATO has been warding off the Russia invasion and has often been out to seek support of other member nations in Europe to maintain peace and oppose Russia. Sweden’s introduction is a strong push to their cause and can literally be seen as a time to rejoice.
Russia has been on a mission to establish its supremacy and disintegrate Europe in its quest to become a world power. NATO, on the other hand, has been on the course of opposing Russian expansionism leading to a deadlock which is difficult to break. The Russia-Ukraine situation spelled a doubt in other member nations of Europe that Russia is not going to stop, and they could be next. The most vulnerable member nations in this instance were Finland and Sweden who share a long 1300km long border with Russia while the Gotland Island of Sweden stays as the hotspot for Russian aggression if the need arises. The decision to allow Sweden as a member of NATO can go a long way in establishing stability that is much needed in the region.
So, why is it time to NATO NATO?
1. Military acumen and power of Sweden: Sweden is known to posses technologically advanced military equipment like the Gripen fighters which add to the firepower for NATO as they push Russian army back to their own territory. The availability of Sweden’s resources at NATO allows NATO to establish more power against Russia.
2. Belief in NATO’s strength: NATO is an organization of 32 countries. The more countries join, better is the alliance as it indicates a display of power and cohesiveness in the region for the greater good. By adding Finland and Sweden in past 2 years, NATO is going from strength to strength.
3. The missing sea dominance for NATO: NATO has often not been able to concentrate on Baltics region and Russia has made a habit of engaging in surprise attacks. Sweden’s inclusion along with its high scale submarines allows NATO to deploy full forces in the Baltic Sea and ensure that all means of a possible attack by Russia are blocked.
4. Sweden’s win: Russia was never going to stop at Ukraine, and this worried Sweden and Finland the most. By joining NATO, they are getting help from 30 other member states to ward off potential attacks from Russia. This will be a Swedish win if Russia doesn’t try to invade in the next 3–4 years.
This is time to rejoice for NATO, but the job is far from done. Russia is still not pulling back, and such an event could only trigger more aggression leading to an impact on Ukraine. NATO member states must tread cautiously as they look to establish a peaceful region and ensure Russia stays within its own territory instead of exploring ways to disintegrate Europe.
