Finland & Sweden Join NATO

DYODD here.

For Our Freedom and Yours | Poland in NATO​

Welcome back to the Ties That Bind.

This season, we are looking at NATO from a bit of a different vantage point, specifically that of the frontline states. How are frontline states investing in and planning for their defense? How are they thinking about their role and contributions in the Alliance and on the world stage? How have their historical experiences shaped how their governments and societies think about defense, countering disinformation, and changing economic realities? And how are they preparing for a potential conflict with Russia?

This week, we are looking at Poland, a country that has completely transformed its military and defense capacity over the last two decades. Periods of transition are not always painless, and we’ll hear what challenges Poland has faced and what opportunities lie ahead as it looks to become a leading voice within the alliance and on the world stage. Featured guests for this episode are: Anna Fotyga, former Polish Foreign Minister, 2006-2007, Tomasz Szatkowski, former Deputy Defense Minister, 2015-2019, and Ambassador to NATO, 2019-2024, and Jakub Romaniuk, Programme Director, Foundation Institute for Eastern Studies.

More:

They have new nuclear powered submarines with screened windows.

Why Finland is preparing to defend itself | ABC News In-Depth​

Nov 7, 2025 #ABCNewsIndepth #ABCNewsAustralia
As Russia continues its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it’s been upping its threats and intimidation towards NATO countries on Europe’s Eastern Flank. One of Russia’s neighbours is more prepared than most to fight back should Moscow’s forces come close - Finland. From underground bunkers to mandatory military conscription, Finland says it’s prepared for any threat or crises. Europe Bureau Chief Mazoe Ford travelled to the Nordic nation for this report.

13:19

Its good to see European partners starting to take their defense seriously. Ukraine did in the nick of time but even still they are in serious trouble. The Russian's, Putin in particular, are like aggressive canines and other carnivores. They like to nip and bite a little bit at a time to watch your reaction to see if your prey. If you kick them in the teeth they will back off but if you allow them to keep on nipping and you then run like a bitch they will come full bore. They have always been like that and always will be. The Russians will always have strong man , aggressive, politics because its all they have ever known and wouldn't know what to do with freedom even if they had it.

And Sweden and Finland going over to NATO really drives them bananas, Finland most of all. It completely changes the strategic dynamics of the norther, adds a huge new frontier to tie down Russian forces, creates a defense in depth plan to bleed invading Russian forces, and adds a first class military machine to NATO forces. Adding the bases and forces on the Island of Gotland is also a royal pain for Russian Baltic forces whom are used to being the Bully boys of the Baltics. Finland acting like an active NATO partner is a real burr in Putin's arse because its an entirely new reality since WW2 when Russia assumed Finland would remain neutral by the Reds.

Sweden too but Sweden is much less a Military power then Finland and doesn't border Russia. They do however have a quality submarine force.

NATO ally reveals chief suspect behind "unprecedented" sabotage attack​

The Polish government said it believes that Russian secret services are behind the bombing of a major railway line in the NATO country, in what Prime Minister Donald Tusk described as an “unprecedented act of sabotage”.

An explosion hit the rail line from Polish capital Warsaw to Lublin on Sunday, a key route for bringing supplies to neighboring Ukraine, which is fighting off an ongoing Russian invasion with Western help.

More:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/worl...-sabotage-attack/ar-AA1QF7TH?ocid=socialshare

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Just a little food for thought. As usual, take it fwiw and dyodd.

HNN

News outta NATO land. Good article at link.

Germany rearms, modernizes military after decades of embracing the peace dividend​

Dec 14, 2025
Germany is undergoing a significant military rearmament. The change has been driven by the ongoing war in Ukraine and U.S. pressure on Europe to shoulder more of its defense.

13:17

NATO News Updates

Posting for anyone interested.

SilverStacker said:

Its good to see European partners starting to take their defense seriously. Ukraine did in the nick of time but even still they are in serious trouble. The Russian's, Putin in particular, are like aggressive canines and other carnivores. They like to nip and bite a little bit at a time to watch your reaction to see if your prey. If you kick them in the teeth they will back off but if you allow them to keep on nipping and you then run like a bitch they will come full bore. They have always been like that and always will be. The Russians will always have strong man , aggressive, politics because its all they have ever known and wouldn't know what to do with freedom even if they had it.

And Sweden and Finland going over to NATO really drives them bananas, Finland most of all. It completely changes the strategic dynamics of the norther, adds a huge new frontier to tie down Russian forces, creates a defense in depth plan to bleed invading Russian forces, and adds a first class military machine to NATO forces. Adding the bases and forces on the Island of Gotland is also a royal pain for Russian Baltic forces whom are used to being the Bully boys of the Baltics. Finland acting like an active NATO partner is a real burr in Putin's arse because its an entirely new reality since WW2 when Russia assumed Finland would remain neutral by the Reds.

Sweden too but Sweden is much less a Military power then Finland and doesn't border Russia. They do however have a quality submarine force.

Click to expand...

That's the US now do Russia.

We have to face reality. NATO right now is a bad joke. Yes its welcome news the professional Nordic militaries have joined, Finland most of all. Bust back in my day, and I do remember, there was a lot of integration in NATO forces. Integration that just doesn't much exist right now. In other words we just dont practice together much with what we do have and we just don't have all that much.

With America and the UK its not as big a problem but the UK's professional forces have grown weak and America's are dispersed all over the world and our dispersal weakens us. I doub't we could even fight one major war and one regional one. In the 1970's we'd be able to fight two majors and one regional "with help from allies". We are becoming a multi-polar world where America's influence and power will wane. MSNBC might have you thinking that would be a good thing and "Orange man bad" but in reality it would be a disaster for freedom loving peoples everywhere.

This multi-Polar power grab is happening on several fronts. The war against western currencys, most of all the USD, is just as critical a battle as would be the crushing of Taiwan and Russian armored legions crushing the Baltics and beyond. Iran is another front where the Theocracy is of use to the Chinese because it secures their oil supplies while Middle East instability is of use to the CCP. They lock away the Muslims within their own borders yet supply them with arms, money, and Intel where it serves their interests in Euro-Asia and Africa. Instability is a key component in the creation of a Multi-Polar world that empowers the yuan and in-debts nations and regions long term. Thats what the Belts and Roads Initiative is. In 12 short years China has become the worlds banker in many developing countries. Countries that have no hope of ever getting out from under the loans and those with natural resources will end up having to dance to China's tunes.

In the end China will shift from being banker to debt collector and these countries will end up poorer. Russia tried the same only with force of arms, their army turning out being not worth a shit. Ukraine was the gem of the Soviet Empire. Loaded with oil, natural gas, rare earths, iron ore, Titanium, Industry's, and all sorts of good stuff. It supplied 1/3'rd of the Union's natural gas at one time. All this is why Staling sent all those indigent to Siberia and replaced them with white Russian's after WW2 with orders to start screwing and making babies. In general the occupied Euro-provinces of the Soviet Slave state were more productive and valuable then Russia itself was. No wonder Putin wants to steal them back.

First tho he has to steal Ukraine and from there the Baltics. He already has a base in Kalinigrad he has loaded with nukes and every weapon he could think of. If he can then take Poland, especially if he lights a nuke or two, the rest of NATO wont really wont to get involved. Already most don't have much power to begin with, or may even change sides. Turkey sent their entire Navy to Somalia to steal their oil. Italy, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Romania, Albania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Albania, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain....These countries either can't fight their way out of a paper bag or have no way of projecting any power. They joined to get the Americans to do their fighting.

And thats what Putin's counting on. NATO beating itself. And he may well be right but first he has to take Ukraine.