Finnish President Alexander Stubb warned that new NATO members like Finland must strengthen their defences, as joining the alliance makes them front-line states with Russia.
A senior US defence department official experienced symptoms similar to Havana syndrome during the 2023 NATO summit in Vilnius, the Pentagon confirmed on Monday.
Sweden has stayed out of military alliances for more than 200 years and long ruled out seeking NATO membership. But after Russia s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it ditched its longstanding policy of nonalignment almost overnight and decided to apply to join the alliance together with neighbouring Finland.
Sweden s Nato Membership: The inclusion of Sweden and Finland into Nato s ranks is among the most significant geopolitical consequences of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine.