Finland has traditionally walked a careful line of neutrality to avoid confrontation with its Russian neighbour. But the war in Ukraine is changing public attitudes, and joining NATO is becoming an increasingly realistic possibility.
Twenty years ago, joining NATO would have been unthinkable in Finland. But a historic shift in public opinion is now under way, with a survey released on February 28 finding that, for the first time, a majority of the population (53%) was in favour of joining the Atlantic alliance – an increase of 25% since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.
