Alan Granadino

All countries applying to join NATO have to carefully consider the domestic and international consequences of membership, and Finland and Sweden are no exception. Before Spain joined in 1982, like Sweden and Finland, it was not a global power and was predominantly concerned with national security. It did not have any nuclear weapons and the country was already firmly considered a part of the West. While there are some fundamental differences between the two cases, Spain’s approach in attempting to step back from the heated rhetoric of the Cold War may provide a useful historical example in attempting to de-escalate tensions.