The Nordic countries Sweden and Finland announced on the 17th that they would jointly submit their application to join NATO on the 18th. If successful, this will significantly change the regional pattern and security situation in Europe. The United States, Britain and other western countries continue to "cheer up" on the actions of Sweden and Finland and encourage them to become a new destination for NATO's further expansion to the Russian border. Many people warned that NATO's so-called "security guarantee" will not make Europe safer. On the contrary, it will lead to further confrontation and regional unrest. The United States tried to pull in Swedish Prime Minister Andersson held a joint press conference with visiting Finnish President ninisto on the 17th, announcing that the two countries will jointly submit their application to join NATO on the 18th. Previously, the two countries have continuously promoted domestic procedures for joining NATO: from the announcement of intention to parliamentary voting to signature and approval, a series of operations were completed in a few days. The United States and Britain have tried their best to win over the two countries' accession to NATO. Finland and Sweden respectively received written security support from Britain on the 11th, promising to assist each other in various ways, including military means, in case of disaster or attack. Swedish foreign minister Lindh said after meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier this month that the US side indicated that it was ready to provide Sweden with "security insurance" during the waiting period for accession to the treaty. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on the 15th that if Finland and Sweden decide to apply to join NATO, their membership will enhance NATO's common security. According to the regulations, NATO can only absorb new members with the unanimous consent of 30 member states. At present, Turkey, a member of NATO, has raised opposition. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said twice on the 13th and 16th that he did not agree with Finland and Sweden to join NATO on the grounds that the two countries supported terrorist organizations and imposed sanctions on Turkey. However, western countries believe that Turkey's statement is actually a "asking price" and are actively "working" on it. Turkey has repeatedly stressed that Finland and Sweden must stop supporting the Kurdistan Workers' Party and the "Gulen movement" when seeking to join NATO, and lift restrictions on Turkey's export of defense equipment. Luxembourg foreign minister Asselborn told German radio that he thought Turkey just wanted to "raise the price" and believed that Turkey would "not step on the brake" in the end. White House press secretary Jean Pierre said on the 17th, "the dialogue is ongoing." The Swedish government issued a press release on the 17th, saying that Andersson and ninisto will go to Washington on the 19th to meet with US President Biden to discuss the application of the two countries to join NATO and transatlantic relations. The Associated Press reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with Turkish Foreign Minister chavusholu in New York on the 18th. The two men had communicated in Berlin on the issue of Finland and Sweden joining NATO on the 15th. Antony Blinken said that he was "confident to reach a consensus" on the same day. Russia reminds us not to make mistakes For a long time, Finland and Sweden have pursued a neutral policy and are considered as a buffer zone between Russia and the West. Analysts pointed out that after Finland and Sweden join NATO, the length of the land border between Russia and NATO countries will almost double, the Baltic Sea will become a "NATO inland sea", and Russia will be surrounded by NATO countries in the Baltic Sea region and the Arctic region. Russian Vice Foreign Minister Ryabkov said in an interview with Russian television on the 17th that the decision of Sweden and Finland to join NATO was "a serious historical mistake". The two countries will no longer decide on their own sovereignty, but will strengthen their own security after their accession to Helsinki. Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed on the 16th that the expansion of NATO is a man-made problem completely due to the interests of U.S. foreign policy. NATO has become a foreign policy tool of a country, resulting in the deterioration of the international security situation. He said that the expansion of NATO military infrastructure in the territory of Finland and Sweden will inevitably lead to Russia's response. "The specific response depends on the threat to Russia." Leonkov, a famous Russian military expert, said that once Finland joins NATO, the land border between NATO and Russia will be expanded. This will pose a threat to St. Petersburg, Russia's second largest city at the eastern end of the Gulf of Finland, as well as the Gulf of Finland on Russia's trade route. Russia may re-examine its western military region defense system and change the goal setting of strategic nuclear forces. Suslov, deputy director of the European and international research center of the Russian Institute of higher economics, pointed out that the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO will also have a negative impact on the security situation in the Arctic and lead to the militarization of the Arctic region. Europe will not be safer After the end of the cold war, NATO has repeatedly tried to invite the two countries to join the treaty, but they were rejected. The abandonment of Finland and Sweden's long-standing neutral policy has aroused doubts and opposition in the two countries. On the day Finland and Sweden decided to apply to join NATO, some people in the two countries held protests against the decision. Several analysts pointed out that NATO's repeated eastward expansion has planted the seeds of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. If it expands northward, bringing the two Nordic countries Finland and Sweden into its military alliance system will undoubtedly aggravate the confrontation with Russia, leading to the further deterioration of the security situation in the Baltic Haiti region and even the whole Europe. In an interview with Swedish television, Daniel David, a US colonel who once served in the NATO force in Germany, said that Sweden has no reason to join NATO and should remain neutral. "There is no indication that Sweden is at risk of invasion. On the contrary, becoming a member of NATO increases the risk," he said Agnes herstrom, President of the Swedish Association for peace and arbitration, said the decision to join NATO "will lead Sweden and the world in the wrong direction." The association said in a statement that Sweden's accession to NATO will make the world more militarized and polarized. It will not make Sweden or the world more secure or democratic, but on the contrary. Finland's education minister and President of the left-wing alliance, Li Andersson, wrote on her blog that even if Finland does not target anyone as a NATO member, joining NATO will further exacerbate regional tensions. The Finnish Peace Council, a non-governmental organization, pointed out that military alliance will not increase security in Europe, but will lead to further escalation of military tensions; The main means to ensure Finland's security are foreign policy and diplomatic activities. Joining the military alliance led by the United States reduces Finland's room for maneuver; NATO's admission of new members has split the world into military blocks, complicating the necessary negotiations and cooperation. (Xinhua News Agency)