Finland and Sweden have submitted their respective applications to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). If brought into the alliance, NATO’s reach will extend closer to Russian borders. Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed that NATO expansion is the reason he invaded Ukraine earlier this year. However, when it comes Finland and Sweden, Putin said he would only respond if the U.S. were to build military infrastructure in those countries.
The series of events has quelled some concern regarding potential nuclear war. Concern had spiked when a Russian official warned Moscow would deploy nuclear weapons in the Baltics if Finland and Sweden joined NATO.
Russia and the U.S. are world leaders in nuclear weapon supply.
