What to Expect from Finland as a NATO Member: Dr. Mika Aaltola & Richard Gowan

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, popular support for NATO membership in Finland quickly rose to a historically high level. One year, one month and 11 days after the Russian aggression began, Finland officially became a member of NATO. Although not a complete transformation, the NATO membership marks a historical change in the country’s security and defense policy. What changes with the NATO membership? What can the Alliance expect from Finland as a NATO member, and what are the ramifications of the Finnish membership to the changing geopolitics of the north? Dr. Mika Aaltola, the Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA) whose areas of expertise include the U.S. global role, dynamics of major power politics, democratic vulnerability, pandemic security, and Finnish foreign policy, discussed these topics with UN Director Richard Gowan in an in-person program at Scandinavia House on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. See their full discussion in the video. This program has been supported by the Consulate General of Finland in New York and the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. Learn more about programming at Scandinavia House at www.scandinaviahouse.org #nato #natomembership #finland