Dienas grauds

[…]why should Finland and Sweden even consider joining NATO? For one thing, if they did join—and one would not join without the other, as officials from both countries stress—they would have a say about NATO strategy. Second, NATO would give them a security guarantee enshrined in Article 5. And third, Finland and Sweden could shift NATO’s focus toward the Arctic, which is becoming a major geostrategic issue for Russia, the United States, and the Nordic countries.[…]

[…] If the Nordic countries and NATO wish to protect the Arctic from being militarized by Russia—and avoid a military competition with Moscow—they will have to make tough choices. As it stands, Russia’s advance into the Arctic has exposed shortcomings in NATO’s naval capabilities. Yet so far, NATO does not want to get involved.[…]

[…] Latvia has a sizable Russian minority that gives Moscow the opportunity to meddle in this Baltic state. Add to that the fact that Latvia is completely dependent on Russian energy. Furthermore, the Latvian government’s ability to fight corruption and weaken the power and influence of Russia’s oligarchs has often been disappointing. All these factors have fundamental implications for NATO, especially the question of at what stage the alliance would be forced to invoke Article 5 and consider an attack on Latvia an attack on all members—or at least to base NATO troops in the country permanently.[…]

Judy Dempsey, Nonresident Senior Associate Carnegie Europe, Editor in chief

vara bungas: absolūti teicama lasāmviela, viss ideāli salikts pa plauktiņiem, ir pamanīta pat valdību nevēlēšanās atklāt sabiedrībām  esošās drošības  situācijas bīstamību. Must read.