Has Putin’s war backfired? Yesterday Finland became the latest country to join Nato, the alliance that Putin regards as his greatest foe. But some think this plays into his hands.
‘Historic’ day for Europe as Finns join Nato
Historic: Finland joined the alliance on the 74th anniversary of its founding in 1949. Glossary
Nato - The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was founded in 1949 to unite Western democracies in Europe and North America against the perceived growing threat of the USSR. It now has 31 members.
Brussels - The capital of Belgium.
Scandinavian - Region of northern Europe, the word refers to the people and culture of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Other countries like Finland and Iceland are sometimes referred to by the same term.
Puppet state - A state that is independent in law but in practice ruled by an outside power.
Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. They were taken over by the USSR during World War Two but regained their independence in 1991.