Johnson places Sweden and Finland under nuclear protection for London (before they joined NATO) – Corriere.it

from the reporter
London – Boris Johnson Put Sweden And Finland under protection Great Britain: included London nuclear umbrella.

The British Prime Minister celebrated on Wednesday Quick visit to Stockholm and HelsinkiWhen the two Scandinavian countries discuss one, Rapid accession to NATO.

Johnson signed two military cooperation agreements, Promising British intervention to defend the two northern countries in the event of an attack: a A commitment that also includes the atomic arsenalas the prime minister tacitly admitted, when he said he would take a request from the two allies to use nuclear forces very seriously.

Traditionally neutral – Sweden for centuries, Finland for decades – the two countries have had to review their international stance onRussia’s invasion of UkraineAnd they both now consider that they can only feel safe under the umbrella of NATO.

In fact, the two countries have already been partners in the alliance for some time: but formal membership would put them under the protection of Article 5 of the Atlantic Charter, which states that an attack on a member state is an attack on all. NATO.

Secretary-General Stoltenberg said that the inclusion of Sweden and Finland would happen as quickly as possible: but However, there is still a gray area of ​​weakness between the entry application and its formalizationWhich puts the two countries at risk of Russian retaliation. Moscow had already said there would be consequences for its membership in NATO.

It is in this context that Johnson’s visit is placed: London provided the Swedes and the Finns Immediate security guarantees, especially since Britain is the leader of the JEF, the Joint Expeditionary Force, the military alliance that unites the Nordic and Baltic states. An agile defense tool that has been precisely engineered to support NATO more quickly.

One between London, Stockholm and Helsinki is also an agreement It is altering European geopolitics and undermining the strategic independence that Macron pursued: We have two countries in the European Union that put themselves under the military protection of a country outside the European Union.

A move clearly blessed by the US and coupled with last year’s Aukus Treaty with Australia: post-Brexit London confirms it wants to be a global player in security, as a result of overreach (and marginalization). ) European structures.