The war started by Russia strengthens NATO. Finland and Sweden in line to the alliance

18 May 2022

One of the reasons of starting the war with Ukraine given by Putin was expansion of NATO towards the Russian borders. The attack of Russia against the neighbour has brought exactly opposite effect. The support for joining NATO by Finland and Sweden has drastically increased.

Finland and Sweden, so far sticking to their long-term policy of military non-involvement, are strongly considering possible candidacy of their countries to the political and military alliance. The motivation of this actions is clear. The fear of possible extension of the conflict and aggression of Russia. The survey carried out in recent months (statista.com) shows how drastically the invasion on Ukraine has changed public opinion in both Nordic countries.

Shortly before the conflict, only 24 % of Finns and 37% of the Swedes were for applying for NATO membership. However, in May 2022, the idea of joining the western military alliance was supported by the majority of the interviewees .

A dramatic increase of the support has been observed in Finland in particular, where, at present 76% of the citizens declare they would vote for their country’s membership in NATO. The Finnish minister of foreign affairs has announced that the country may apply for it this week. The process of joining would probably last a few months.

Soon before the outbreak of the war president of Russia Wladimir Putin had raised the issue of NATO, European-American military alliance. The Ukrainian declaration on NATO comes form 2008 and it is not expected it will be adopted soon.

Ukraine declares its aspiration to join the treaty which is strongly objected by Russia. The list of those willing to join NATO also includes Bosnia and Hercegovina and Georgia (info.forsal.statista).

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03 November 2025

The 6 th edition of the Three Seas Local Government Congress will be held May 27-28, 2026, under the Honorary Patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland, Karol Nawrocki. This distinction recognises the growing importance of the event, which has become a key platform for cooperation among the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, both in the economic and infrastructural dimensions.

Over five editions of the Congress (2020–2025), more than 5,000 participants from 24 countries have taken part, 104 discussion panels have been held, and 64 foreign delegations have visited Lublin. The scale and international character of the event confirm its increasing role in shaping dialogue across the Three Seas region.

We, the countries representing Central and Eastern Europe (…) through the Three Seas Initiative, Via Baltica, and Via Carpatia, share not only our voice and vision of building a civic community, but also tangible results showing that the Baltic States and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe are capable of implementing major infrastructure projects, emphasised President Karol Nawrocki during his visit to Vilnius last month.

These words perfectly capture the spirit of the Three Seas Congress, which brings together political, academic, and business communities around a shared goal, building a strong, integrated, and cooperative Central and Eastern Europe.

It is also worth noting that in April 2025, Poland hosted the 10th Three Seas Initiative Summit. During the event, participants emphasised the importance of infrastructure and economic cooperation in the region and the need to strengthen cohesion across Central and Eastern Europe. This year, the cooperation format has been expanded to include new members – Albania and Montenegro joined the Three Seas Initiative in the capacity of associated participating states, while Spain and Turkey became new strategic partners. It has already been announced that the 11th Summit will take place in Croatia in 2026.

We cordially invite you to take part in the Three Seas Local Government Congress! Registration will open in the end of January. More details will soon be available at www.congress.lubelskie.pl and on our social media channels.