11 Apr 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

B. GS 2 Related

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. On Finland’s journey to join NATO

Syllabus: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries

Prelims: About NATO

Mains: Finland’s move to join NATO – historical underpinnings, implications and the way forward

Context

Finland, on April 4, 2023, joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and became the 31st member of the Organization.

Details

Image source: The Economist

• The Finnish President, Sauli Niinistö, stated that “the era of military non-alignment in our history has come to an end”.
  • Finland, after repelling an invasion attempt by the Soviet Union during the Second World War, had opted for non-alignment and maintained friendly relations with Russia.
• The latest move has led to concerns among the Russian leadership and Russia has warned about initiating countermeasures to ensure their tactical and strategic security.
  • The Russian Foreign Ministry has also stated that Russia will respond with “military-technical measures” and its actions will depend on the terms under which Finland has joined NATO.
• Experts, however, believe that Finland is not the first and would not be the last neighbour of Russia to join NATO. 
  • Before Finland, countries like Norway (1949, and a founding member), Latvia (2004), Estonia (2004), Poland (1999) and Lithuania (2004) joined NATO. 

Also read: NATO membership latest updates

Evolution of Finland-Russia Relations

• The relationship between the two countries has been impacted by struggle and compromise for over 200 years.
• The Russian Tsar Alexander I defeated Sweden in 1809 and acquired Finland. 
  • He further made Finland an autonomous Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire. 
  • However, the collapse of the Tsarist regime in 1917 followed by the Bolshevik Revolution led to the creation of full independence of Finland.
• First Soviet-Finnish War or the Winter War of 1939-1940: In October 1939, Stalin proposed a revision of the Finnish-Russian border and a month later, the Soviet Union attacked Finland.
  • The tensions from the Russian Revolution and the Finnish Civil War, and the existing issues from the Treaty of Dorpat in 1920 were key reasons for the start of the First Soviet-Finnish War.
  • The war lasted three and a half months and the Finns lost key portions of their territory but continued to retain their independence.
• The Second Soviet-Finnish War (1941-1944): The war between the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and Finland resumed in 1941 which was supported by the Finnish alliance with the Third Reich.
  • This war ended with the defeat of Finland. The country lost several territories to the USSR and was forced to pay war reparations. 
• These wars and their outcomes influenced Finland to pursue a pragmatic and flexible security policy which enabled the country to balance its autonomy with military cooperation with the West. 
• Concessions were made by Finland to the Soviet Union, which includes the Finno-Soviet Treaty of 1948. 
  • The Finno-Soviet Treaty, despite allowing Finland to remain neutral, barred any foreign troops on its soil without permission from Moscow. 
  • The treaty helped Finland improve its trade with the Soviet Union but it also made Finland become heavily dependent on Russia and made the country vulnerable to economic and political developments in the Soviet Union.
• Paasikivi’s line: Post the Second World War, the skilful diplomacy and pragmatism displayed by Finnish President Juho Kusti Paasikivi helped the country to save itself from the spread of communist ideology.
  • In 1948, the Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance was signed between the USSR and Finland.
  • Paasikivi’s line was based on the idea of peaceful coexistence with the USSR and neutrality was the key motive. This helped Finland address the complexities in global geopolitics post the Second World War.
  • This became popular as “Finland’s neutrality”.
• Post-Cold War phase: After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Finland looked to develop deeper ties with Russia while also seeking greater integration with Europe. 
  • Ever since the Soviet disintegration, Finland has played an active role in various European security initiatives like the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO) and at the same time, it has maintained close economic ties with Russia.
  • However, tensions between Finland and Russia have been common due to the flux in domestic politics in both countries.

Rationale behind Finland Joining NATO

• Experts view the latest move made by Finland as a rational choice considering the existing circumstances post the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
• Finland has engaged with NATO even in the past.
  • In 1994, Finland collaborated with NATO for the Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme. 
  • Finland had the status of an “Enhanced Opportunity Partner” and had played an active role in the NATO-led operations in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq.
• As per the Constitution of Finland, every citizen of the country is obligated to participate in national defence. This has led to sufficient and able resources for the country’s army, navy and air force to act effectively in a war situation and defend itself against possible aggression.
  • However, the key rationale behind Finland’s latest move has been to receive additional security guarantees from NATO.
  • According to Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty, “an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all”. This binds the members together, committing them to protect each other.
• Experts believe that Finland’s move to join NATO can be viewed through the lens of “conventional deterrence”.
  • According to Professor John Mearsheimer, who described the concept, “conventional deterrence is an attempt to persuade an adversary not to initiate a war because the expected costs and risks outweigh the anticipated benefits”.

Possible alternative to joining NATO

• Experts believe that an alternative for Finland apart from joining NATO would have been to develop its own military capabilities and pursue a deeper level of cooperation with other European countries.
• However, Russia’s Annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and a declining Russian influence forced Finland to join NATO in order to negate any possible security risks in the future.

Way forward

• The move will further escalate tensions as Russia will look to increase its troops along the Russo-Finnish border.
• It is important that NATO and Russia look for ways to break the existing vicious cycle of undertaking “measures” and imposing “countermeasures”.
• With a “security dilemma” unfolding in the region, Russia and NATO are required to exercise cautious behaviour vis-à-vis each other. This requires at least some NATO members to rely on diplomatic tools instead of military brute force. 
• The newly elected centre-right government in Finland must not escalate the tensions with Russia and should look to engage in bilateral dialogue.

Nut graf: Finland has officially become the 31st member of NATO and this is seen as a significant event as Finland shares a 1,340-kilometre border with Russia. The move to join NATO was influenced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Finland’s historical troubles with Russia, and the decline of Russian influence in global geopolitics.

D. GS 4 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1. NATO’s expanding membership has played a direct role in aggravating tensions with Russia. Does the recent membership of Finland pose similar concerns? Examine, by focusing on the membership criteria & process of NATO. (15 marks, 250 words) [GS-2, IR]
2. Project Tiger has been a remarkable success with regard to Tiger conservation in India. In light of this statement, critically evaluate the background, structure and implementation of the project. (15 marks, 250 words) [GS-3, Environment & Ecology]

Read the previous CNA here.