Russia must focus on ending the war rather than expanding North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Elaborate (200 Words)
Refer - The Hindu
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 3 years
KEY POINTS
· Sweden, which has stayed out of military alliances for 200 years, stated that NATO membership would strengthen its national security and stability in the Baltic and Nordic regions.
· If these two countries now formally apply for membership, it would be the biggest strategic setback for Russian President whose most important foreign policy focus has been on weakening NATO.
· It is still not clear whether these countries would be inducted into NATO any time soon. Within the alliance, decisions are taken unanimously.
· Hungary, which has deep ties with Russia and has already held up the EU’s plan to ban Russian oil imports, has not made its views clear.
· But the mere declaration of intent by Finland and Sweden to join NATO has sent tensions in Europe soaring, with Russia threatening ‘military and technical’ retaliation.
· It is up to NATO to decide whether they should be taken in or not. But a bigger question these countries as well as Europe as a whole face is whether another round of expansion of NATO would help bring in peace and stability in Europe, particularly at a time when the continent is facing a pre-First World War-type security competition.
· Russia should immediately halt the war and all the stakeholders should focus on finding a long-term solution to the crisis.
