The induction of Finland, which has long been neutral in Moscow’s prolonged conflict with the West, into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation this week, is a major setback to Russia and President Vladimir Putin. One of the many justifications the Russian leader offered for the aggression against Ukraine was the relentless expansion of NATO closer to Moscow’s borders since the late 1990s. Rather than rolling back NATO, Moscow’s war has lengthened the Central European queue for membership at its door. Soon after the Russian invasion, Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership. By becoming NATO’s 31st member, Finland has doubled its frontier with Russia by adding more than 1,300 km to the line of contact.
Delhi might want to watch closely the impact of Finland’s NATO membership on the Arctic region. Finland has maintained a small but capable armed force that is well-trained and resilient — its inclusion in NATO adds real punch to the Western alliance in the Nordic region. India is an observer of the Arctic Council that seeks to promote wide-ranging cooperation in the polar north. As the Arctic ice cap melts amidst global warming, the high north has become attractive commercially and contested geopolitically. As Finland and Sweden turn from neutrals to Western allies and China raises its profile in the Arctic in partnership with Russia, the militarisation of the high north appears inevitable. That, in turn, might make global governance of the Arctic region increasingly problematic.
