In May 2022, Finland and Sweden endeavored to join NATO concurrently. This event heralds one of the most momentous shifts in Europe’s security paradigm in decades, catalyzing a heightened state of confrontation between Russia and NATO. Among the five Nordic nations, the remaining triumvirate aligned with NATO post-World War II, whereas Finland and Sweden assumed roles as neutral entities. Although both countries espouse neutrality, their rationales for NATO membership and their perspectives on accession vary. A 2016 research dossier from the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscored that, “unlike Sweden, which clandestinely benefits from military alliances with the United States, Finland maintains a circumspect stance toward the Western pact (NATO).”…