Military neutrality works when potential adversaries respect it. After the invasion of Ukraine, two of the most serious and respected neutral states in the world have decided that Russia may no longer respect their neutrality. Neither Sweden nor Finland has ever used rose-tinted spectacles when looking at Russia and both countries have long had credible defensive military forces as deterrents to Russian adventurism. But the war in Ukraine is a tipping point for Stockholm and Helsinki.
Why Putin has resisted using Ukraine’s Kursk offensive to call for greater Russian sacrifices
Putin has missed an obvious opportunity to label Kyiv’s surprise incursion as the modern day equivalent to Operation Barbarossa.
