ET Edge Insights’ Post

If the roles were reversed and Russia was cozying up to countries near the US, like Canada, it's certain the US would react strongly. Yet, everyone seemed to expect Russia to remain passive as they encroached on their territory. In the end, both sides share the blame for the Ukraine crisis. It's like a "Game of chicken where nobody wants to blink first, but everyone ends up getting hurt" As NATO celebrates it’s 75th Anniversary today. It's commitment to collective defence, peace and safeguarding member states from external threats are now needed more than ever before!! Since it's inception in 1949, NATO still stands as the world’s oldest military alliance of democratic nations. Wrote an opinion piece on "NATO at 75: From divided past to unified defence" Read below to know it's historical expansion, current state and future: #geopolitics #internationalrelations #NATO #warsawpact #sovietunion #defence #security #wars

We are delighted to announce the release of our latest policy analysis, authored by Jason C. Moyer and Patrick Kornegay, Jr. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 highlighted the fragility of peace and security in Europe. The resurgence of war in Europe prompted a reassessment of the security postures of traditionally neutral countries. Norms on military spending and assistance have been shattered, leading to Finland and Sweden reversing decades of military non-alignment to join NATO. Even Switzerland is eyeing a strategic overhaul and is considering joint exercises with NATO (Revill, 2022). Despite Sweden and Finland’s decision to join NATO Austria remains committed to neutrality. The public debate on Austria’s strategic culture has remained largely the same and policymakers in Vienna have not changed their stance on NATO. Russia’s war in Ukraine has underscored Austria’s need to reevaluate its policy of neutrality and strategic approach vis-a-vis NATO and Russia. Read the whole analysis here 👇 https://lnkd.in/dy2SgWqT

#sweden #natoexpansion #china #media How did China's state media react to NATO's latest expansion in Northern Europe? Check my latest article to find out more👇👇

REALLY BIG NEWS!! Sweden formally joins NATO military alliance, ending centuries of neutrality Sweden has officially joined military alliance NATO. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to hand over the final documents. The country first bid to join the alliance in May 2022. But resistance from NATO member Hungary delayed the process. Sweden officially joined NATO as its 32nd member on Thursday, almost two years after first applying to the military alliance. Earlier on Thursday, the Swedish government said in a statement it was holding an extraordinary meeting to vote on joining NATO after all current members had approved its accession to the military alliance. The news was then confirmed later Thursday with a statement from NATO, with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg saying the country was “taking its rightful place at our table.” “Sweden’s accession makes NATO stronger, Sweden safer, and the whole Alliance more secure. I look forward to raising their flag at NATO HQ on Monday,” he added. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to hand over the final documents. The country first applied to join NATO in May 2022, not long after Russia’s war on Ukraine began. This marked a significant change in Sweden’s previous policy of military non-alignment which stretches back to the Napoleonic Wars. Finland became an official member of NATO last April, also prompted by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine. Authorities in both Helsinki and Stockholm decided that in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, their nations were no longer safe on their own and applied to join the alliance a few months later.  NATO members Hungary and Turkey delayed the process of Sweden’s accession, with both countries only voting in favor of it this year. All existing members must approve a new country joining the alliance, whose key principle is that an attack on one of them is an attack on all of them. Hungary’s governing party, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, long opposed Sweden’s NATO membership amid Sweden’s criticism of the state of democracy in Hungary. The prime ministers of both countries met in Budapest, Hungary, last month and committed to work through differences, saying they would “die for each other.” Turkey, meanwhile, ratified Sweden’s NATO membership in January. It had previously said that Sweden was too tolerant of group’s that Turkey’s government views as security threats. Anti-Muslim protests in Sweden last year further soured relations. https://lnkd.in/gDqnx2Bc #broker #brokers #mortgage #mortgagebroker #mortgagebrokers #loanoriginator

SWEDEN´S NATO ACCESSION IN CHINESE MEDIA In Chinese state media, #Sweden’s recent #NATO #accession is discussed with a negative overtone based on general sentiments towards the military bloc. 🇨🇳🗞️ 🇺🇸⚡️ Unsurprisingly, Russian state-promoted narratives on NATO’s purpose to maintain US hegemony and seek confrontation are widely reproduced. 🇸🇪🙅 Meanwhile, NATO-critical voices from Sweden itself are also amplified to depict the accession as unpopular among the majority of the country’s population. 🇪🇺🪖 Overall, Chinese state media intends to convince its readers that Europe will become less safe due to NATO’s expansion. Article by Sebestyén Hompot   Article available here: https://lnkd.in/e3Uzbjwj

This Perspective examines the contributions that Finland and Sweden can make to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) as the newest NATO Allies, having joined in response to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It examines the path each nation took towards NATO membership, after a long history of armed neutrality and military non-alignment. It also explores the capabilities and expertise that Finland and Sweden bring to the Alliance in terms not only of their armed forces but also their approaches to innovation, security, resilience and emergency preparedness. This builds on prior RAND Europe research on opportunities to deepen cooperation in the Nordic-Baltic region and ways to enhance defence and deterrence on NATO's northern flank more broadly, including in the Arctic. https://lnkd.in/eFCUSVx6

On the whole, NATO has provided collective security for Europe and North America for a long time. Congratulations are in order, but it is also a time to make changes. The organization will benefit by having more European countries taking a greater role in NATO. For far too long, the United States carried the leadership burden and funding responsibility. Russia’s war against Ukraine has changed the defense calculus. Large organizations like NATO are challenged by the collective action dilemma. When folks come together to achieve a common goal, there are always disparities in effort and contribution. It is not unusual to see free riders (or low riders) and those who wind up picking up the slack. Now Europe has its eyes open to the reality of the Russian threat, and its cooperation with China, Iran, and North Korea to undermine the international order that has ensured security and trade for many decades. #nato #europe #northamerica #unitedstates #collective #security #anniversary #change #defense #war #russia #ukraine #china #iran #northkorea #action #dilemma #free #riders #international #order #trade #common #goal https://lnkd.in/eXktiQp2

Turkiyë is a NATO member, why doesn't it act like it? In another article, former Turkish diplomatic personnel to NATO and other strategic countries with a similar position to the United States towards Russia revealed they are at most times not privy to security discussions with respect to the war, as well as other important meetings. To include a recent observation of body language at the recent NATO summit, I would be of the opinion that Turkiyë could be an "Ex - Officio" member of BRICS. My next series, the "BRICS Frontier", will explore the two important countries steering the eastern bloc's ideology on a global scale, as well as other countries sidelining with it.

Mr Bryen’s clear-eyed assessment of NATO (not your grandfather’s as in his previous article). A military alliance that can’t defend its borders and is gung-ho on expansion can’t be constructive. […] There are profound reasons why NATO is floundering, despite appearances. The biggest reason of all is that NATO has been expanding without paying attention to its need to be a credible defensive alliance. Ukraine is part of that expansion, and under US and EU pressure, the expansion is spreading to the South Caucasus, as far as Armenia. A greater NATO is an alliance without defensible borders, as is increasingly obvious. That is why Ukraine is getting chewed up, despite Western arsenals having been emptied in the effort to save it. The Russians won’t neglect the South Caucasus including Armenia when the time comes. […] #nato #defense #alliance #ukrainewar #russia #europe #security #armenia #southcaucasus #eurasia

Sweden’s recent ascension to NATO (along with neighboring Finland, which joined last year) marked the completion of a decades-long evolution between the two famously non-aligned nations and the NATO alliance. This excellent Deutsche Welle analysis traces Sweden’s long journey to full NATO status. Highlighted along the way are related moves by Sweden (most notably membership in the European Union) and how Russia’s long history of armed aggression against neighboring nations progressively moved Sweden closer to NATO membership. Also highlighted are the positive implications for western defense in the Baltic region with both Sweden and Finland as full members of the alliance.