European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini (L) and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg attend a Nato defence ministers meeting at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir
Washington - The decisions by the governments of Finland and Sweden to apply for membership in NATO subordinates them to the aggressive US-led military alliance that puts their peoples at risk and adds to regional instability, US peace activist and coordinator of the Odessa Solidarity Campaign Phil Wilayto told Sputnik.
“The decisions by the governments of Sweden and Finland to join Nato are a huge step back for world peace and for European stability,” Wilayto said.
"Both, Sweden and Finland have been at least officially neutral for many decades — Finland since World War II and Sweden since long before that. Officially subordinating themselves to an aggressive US-led military alliance puts the people of both countries in danger and contributes to the overall political and military instability of the entire region.“
Earlier in the day, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said Sweden and Finland will jointly apply for Nato membership on Wednesday.
Wilayto said joining Nato will immediately raise the possibility of involving both countries in conflicts that they have nothing to do with, given that Article 5 of Nato's founding treaty stipulates an attack on any one member is considered to be an attack on all.
“Those who think of Nato only as protection for themselves would do well to remember that the only time Article 5 has ever been invoked was to come to the aid of the United States after the attacks of September 11, 2001. So the question becomes, do you really want Washington telling you who your enemies are?” he said.
Wilayto pointed out that joining Nato is not inexpensive and the United States demands that all members devote at least 2% of their GDP to military spending.
“Finland already spends 2% of its GDP on its military (the 2021 estimate), which is up from 1.5% in 2020,” he said. “But in Sweden’s case, this would mean an increase in military spending since its present spending is only 1.3% of its GDP. The result will be an increase in taxes or a reduction in social spending, or both.”
Wilayto noted that that Nato was founded in 1949 by a dozen North American and Western European countries opposed to the Soviet Union and after the dissolution of the Soviet Union it has grown to include 30 countries stretching all the way to the borders of Russia.
Wilayto also said that Nato conducted an air campaign against Libya in 2011, “turning what was once the most prosperous country in Africa into a safe haven for extremists who are now destabilizing a large part of West Africa.” In addition, NATO participated in the United Nations-led mission in Afghanistan.
Sputnik