THE GEOPOLITICAL SITUATION IN THE BALTICS

Abstract

The article investigates Sweden's and Finland's motivations for abandoning their long-standing non-aligned policies and joining NATO following Russia's beginning of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The country's choice appears to be in the best interests of the United States, which has long tried to fill the geopolitical void left by the fall of the hostile Soviet bloc and the Soviet Union itself. Finland and Sweden were the missing links in the Baltic area and Northern Europe as a whole Washington and NATO. The report examines the key implications of these geopolitical shifts in the Baltic area. These include an increasing disparity in armed forces with NATO, a significant expansion of the border with the Alliance, NATO acquiring new territorial and infrastructure capabilities to deploy reinforcements and military equipment from member countries to the region, the potential stationing of nuclear weapons on the territories of new member countries, the risk of blockading the Kaliningrad region, as well as the Gulf of Finland and the Danish straits. It is emphasized that, given the current situation, Russia must contemplate alternative eventualities in the Baltic area. On the one hand, it must protect its interests while causing the least amount of harm. However, it is critical to avoid an unchecked escalation of hostilities with NATO.