Sweden and Finland in NATO

[Cornish_Pikey]

Both Sweden and Finland opting to join NATO has made mad Vlad a bit more grumpy.

Any thoughts on outcomes?

Linky thing

 

[Rugby-Jock-Lad]

Vlad has effed up big time!! Sweden produce some good military kit and Finland certainly are no mugs. Russia is a large country area wise but technology wise and population wise it is dwarfed by the EU and USA!!! Apart from resources and nukes Russia doesn't have a lot going for it right now.

Again more rhetoric from Mad Vlad.

NATO isn't going to war overtly (clandestine support for Ukraine...now that's a different matter) but they will not stand-by and watch a Hitler style small, assured land grab like in the 1930s and accept it by appeasement like Governments of the day did back then.

 

[Talk Wrench]

I'm guessing there'll be a lot more nuclear willy waving and threats to wipe every NATO country off the face of the earth.

It's always the commies who seem to like threatening all and sundry with radioactive non futures. To$$ers.

 

[Oldstacker]

Tbh, I think Sweden and Finland joining NATO is more likely to provoke a nasty response from mad Vlad than them staying neutral. I understand why they're doing it, I'd be nervous too in their position , but mad Vlad also knows that the NATO charter refuses membership to any nation already in a conflict. So his easiest way to keep them out of NATO now is to attack them...

 

[Talk Wrench]

...but mad Vlad also knows that the NATO charter refuses membership to any nation already in a conflict. So his easiest way to keep them out of NATO now is to attack them...

Finland have previously given the Russians a bloody nose and assuming that Vlad wants to have a pop at them just for expressing their wish to join NATO, he'll seriously struggle to fund a war on a western front whilst suffering losses on his current incursion in the Ukraine. Any retaliation is going to be in the form of cyber and disruptive actions against the Finnish State. The same goes for Sweden.

 

[busby1971]

Russia is just another country that has been ruined through its reliance on Oil and Gass to fund its operations and line the pockets of those at the top.

Perhaps we should worry less about what Putin would do, and more about what is the right thing to do. “This a quote by the way”

 

[Rugby-Jock-Lad]

Tbh, I think Sweden and Finland joining NATO is more likely to provoke a nasty response from mad Vlad than them staying neutral. I understand why they're doing it, I'd be nervous too in their position , but mad Vlad also knows that the NATO charter refuses membership to any nation already in a conflict. So his easiest way to keep them out of NATO now is to attack them...

He can't fight multiple fronts. His military is too inept and inadequate for that with their old "bludgeon" tactics. I wouldn't fancy picking on the Finns and Swedes on their own doorstep especially in a winter campaign!!!! And again with NATO backing even if it is just intel and weapon provision..................

 

[Talk Wrench]

Russia is just another country that has been ruined through its reliance on Oil and Gass to fund its operations and line the pockets of those at the top.

Perhaps we should worry less about what Putin would do, and more about what is the right thing to do. “This a quote by the way”

Bearing in mind that we've already seen a de facto chemical attack on the streets of Great Britain a la Novichok and without a sea border to hinder Putin's henchmen, the Finns may be quite vulnerable to similar attacks so how do we determine what the right thing to do actually is? Tricky.

 

[Vushtrri]

Tbh, I think Sweden and Finland joining NATO is more likely to provoke a nasty response from mad Vlad than them staying neutral. I understand why they're doing it, I'd be nervous too in their position , but mad Vlad also knows that the NATO charter refuses membership to any nation already in a conflict. So his easiest way to keep them out of NATO now is to attack them...

Which I don’t believe he will do, though I do believe that within a year or two following dissent from within, Russia itself will become a member of NATO.

 

[muttywhitedog]

Putin's invasion of Ukraine has stopped one country from joining NATO (which wasnt planning to join), and made two other countries join NATO (which weren't planning to). End result - NATO is bigger and now sits 800 miles on his doorstep.

That went well for him (not).

 

[Tin basher]

Turkey in the form of the odious President Erdogan could scupper all the plans for joining NATO with a veto.

 

[Talk Wrench]

Turkey in the form of the odious President Erdogan could scupper all the plans for joining NATO with a veto.

Turkey aren't exactly fine, upstanding members of NATO really are they.

 

[vim_fuego]

Erdogan, the man who makes my holiday wines and spirits ever more expensive, is going to use this to get some concessions and deals before he agrees.

A point based vaguely on my above comment...is that Turkey is the only holiday destination still taking Ruskies. It's going to be fun as some of the boozerama all-inclusive resorts when p1ssed up Brits meet 'been on the vodka since breakfast' Russians in the bar!

 

[Deltaitem]

I don't want to appear jaded or cynical to the ways of the world, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Russians hadn't slipped the Turks a bung of some sort to create just the sort of drama we're now seeing.

 

[Tin basher]

Turkey aren't exactly fine, upstanding members of NATO really are they.

No they certainly are not. If I understand the NATO joining process correctly all current members must agree to allow a new nation to join the gang. With Mr Erdogan it may well come down who gives him the biggest contribution (Bribe) NATO or his Rusky holiday pals. Mad Vlad could conceivably pass Erdogan a large brown envelope for Turkey to veto new nations.

 

[Late & Tired]

A real piece of geographical benefit if both join, in terms of oversight of the red naval and submersible fleet which transits northbound atop and into the Cola Peninsula. Used to be busy times for the Nimrod boys...

 

[Barch]

>> Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) on Monday said he would vote against Finland’s and Sweden’s bids to join NATO, a move that would go against most of his colleagues from both sides of the aisle. <<

It seems that 11 NATO member states (including the USA) still have yet to vote on the Sweden & Finland applications.