Russian brutality has boosted Nato and led countries to abandon neutrality – and that’s a very bad move

If, as might appear, most of Europe and Russia are now speeding towards a two-bloc division, far more risks being lost than gained, writes Mary Dejevsky

Some of the most sensitive diplomacy has been facilitated by neutral states (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Much has been made by Ukraine’s Western allies of the perverse effects of Russia’s invasion – chief among them the boost given to Nato. While a major objective for Russia was to curb some of the consequences of Nato enlargement and to prevent Ukraine joining the Western alliance, the actual effect has been the opposite.

Not only is Ukraine even more set on Nato membership than it was before, but the alliance itself is, to all appearances, more cohesive. Both these developments, however, pale into insignificance beside the decisions of Finland and Sweden to abandon decades of neutrality in order to become fully paid-up Nato members.

Finland has already been fast-tracked into the alliance. Sweden’s application is being stalled by Turkey, which is trying to extract concessions from Stockholm on Kurdish exiles, but it will surely be cleared to join before long.