Finland to join NATO as Allied Foreign Ministers meet

[Elderberry]

NATO 4/3/2023

https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_212288.htm

Finland will become the 31st member of NATO on Tuesday (4 April 2023), immediately preceding a two-day meeting of Allied Foreign Ministers. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Finland’s imminent accession, saying: “It will be a good day for Finland’s security, for Nordic security and for NATO as a whole.”

At their meeting, Allies will address Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine, and are expected to agree to start work on developing a multi-year programme of support. They will also discuss threats and challenges from the South, the importance of increased defence investment, and China’s growing alignment with Russia. NATO’s Indo-Pacific partners and the European Union will also join for a discussion on the global consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

[corbe]

   I may be showing my ignorance here but, in spite of Putin being on the move again (remember Crimea?)  NATO died in the 20th Century and has become a money drain on our few precious resources and massively dysfunctional.

[kevindavis007]

   I may be showing my ignorance here but, in spite of Putin being on the move again (remember Crimea?)  NATO died in the 20th Century and has become a money drain on our few precious resources and massively dysfunctional.

Well until Russia and to some extant China play nice NATO is needed.

[GtHawk]

   I may be showing my ignorance here but, in spite of Putin being on the move again (remember Crimea?)  NATO died in the 20th Century and has become a money drain on our few precious resources and massively dysfunctional.

Dysfunctional? Not when it comes to raping women and children in the countries they are stationed.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

   I may be showing my ignorance here but, in spite of Putin being on the move again (remember Crimea?)  NATO died in the 20th Century and has become a money drain on our few precious resources and massively dysfunctional.

Interestingly, NATO's Article 5, which is the provision requiring military assistance, has only been invoked once in history, And that wasn't in the 20th century but the 21st..

It came after 9/11, when NATO invoked Article 5 and members states sent troops to assist us in Afghanistan.  In other words, the U.S. is the only NATO member to have benefited directly from that provision.  Troops from a variety of NATO countries, including non-NATO troops from Ukraine, died to assist the United States.