Russian invasion of Ukraine pushes neutral Finland and Sweden toward NATO membership

Published April 19, 2022 at 10:40 AM PDT

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may have backfired in one way: It has prompted longtime neutral countries Finland and Sweden to consider joining NATO.

Russian President Vladimir Putin cited NATO expansion as a major reason he started the war.

Last week, a top minister in Finland said it’s “highly likely” to join the military alliance. And Sweden is discussing it, too.

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks with Jason Moyer of the Wilson Center.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.