View from Finland: Trump to pull Sweden and Finland out of NATO if Russia makes this a condition for peace in Ukraine

Jussi Lasila
Photo: ilcdn.fi

US President Donald Trump may pull Sweden and Finland out of NATO as part of a peace deal with Russia over Ukraine, Jussi Lasila, a research fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, told Finnish news agency STT.

“Trump's willingness to accommodate Russia may be truly unprecedented”, the researcher believes.

According to him, Trump may agree to Moscow's demand to return NATO to its 1997 borders if this is set as a condition during discussions on Russia's security issues. And this, the expert believes, will lead to the need to cancel the membership of Finland and Sweden in NATO.

“We must be prepared for this and keep our cool“, warned Lasila.

Helsinki and Stockholm submitted applications to join the bloc after the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine. Finland officially became a member of the alliance on April 4, 2023, and Sweden on March 7, 2024.

…It should be noted that London and Helsinki have already begun discussing the issue of “regionalization” within NATO – for example, in the article “NATO in the North: The emerging division of labour in Northern European security”. The British propose a regional “Northern NATO” under their command. It will include all countries located around the Baltic Sea.

Therefore, the statement by the Finnish expert can be assessed as a hint to London that Finland may leave NATO, but is ready to remain in a military alliance with Britain.

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