Soon after Finland’s decision to join the Nato, Sweden, which shares a 1300-km border with Russia in its east also followed suit prompting Russia to warn the duo of dire consequences.
Russia sees Nato as a security threat and is currently at war with Ukraine for more or less the same reason.
Sweden previously remained successful in avoiding big military conflicts, including world war two by not joining security alliances.
Some analysts attribute the historic shift to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the rising sense of insecurity in Europe.
The governing Social Democrats in Sweden deem it the need of the hour to join the western security alliance in order to protect its territorial borders, however, some international relations and defense analysts believe this kind of decision could be counter-productive.
Russian President Vladimir Putting has already told Finland and Sweden it would be a “mistake” to join Nato.