Finland and Sweden's bids to join NATO

Gone quiet · last story Jun 28, 2022

Finland and Sweden applied to join NATO in May 2022 in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, ending decades of neutrality and military nonalignment, and the alliance formally invited both countries that June.[1][2]

Photo from Fox News, with Putin warns Finland NATO membership would harm relations (May 12, 2022), the story with the most sources this week.
What this arc covers

Finland's and Sweden's bids to join NATO after Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Russia's warnings to both countries, the Finnish government's signals that membership was highly likely, Vladimir Putin's warning that joining would harm relations and Russia's cutoff of electricity to Finland, Finland's decision in May 2022 to seek membership, ending decades of neutrality, and NATO's formal invitation to both countries in June 2022.

Earliest story we hold Feb 25, 2022 · 6 stories · 89 sources (counted once each) · 123 days

Part ofFinlandNATORussiaSwedenUkraineVladimir PutinTurkey

Background

Russia threatened "military and political consequences" in February 2022 if either country tried to join, as Finland's prime minister noted that the invasion might raise public interest in membership.[3] By April a Finnish minister called joining highly likely, and Finland's government said it would decide within weeks.[4]

When Finland's leaders announced in May that the country would apply, Vladimir Putin warned that membership would harm relations,[5] and Russia's energy company cut off electricity exports to Finland, citing trouble receiving payments because of sanctions.[6] Sweden followed days later, ending more than 200 years of military nonalignment.[1] NATO formalized its invitation to both countries at the end of June, a historic expansion of the alliance that undercut what Putin had aimed to prevent.[2][5]

Supporting stories (6)
  1. Finland will seek to join NATO, leaders say, ditching decades of neutrality despite Russia's threats of retaliation
  2. NATO formally invites Finland and Sweden to join alliance
  3. Russia issues ominous warning to Finland, Sweden should they join NATO
  4. Finland Joining NATO ‘Highly Likely’ And Hopefully ‘Swift,’ Finnish Minister Says
  5. Putin warns Finland NATO membership would harm relations
  6. Putin Warns Finland Over Joining NATO As Russia Cuts Off Electricity

Overview updated Oct 17, 2026

Part of The Russia-Ukraine war

  1. Western weapons and aid for UkraineJan 19, 2022 – Oct 16, 2026
  2. Ukraine's politics under martial lawFeb 24, 2022 – Sep 7, 2026
  3. Finland and Sweden's bids to join NATOThis arcFeb 25 – Jun 28, 2022
  4. The Black Sea grain deal and Russia's exit from itMar 3, 2022 – Nov 27, 2023
  5. Russian drones in NATO airspace and alleged sabotage plotsMar 11, 2022 – Oct 16, 2026
  6. Russia and North Korea's alliance, from arms deals to troops in UkraineMay 26, 2022 – Oct 8, 2026
  7. The Nord Stream explosions and Germany's case against Ukrainian suspectsSep 26, 2022 – Oct 10, 2026
  8. The US-Ukraine minerals deal, from Trump's demand to the April 2025 signingFeb 3 – Apr 30, 2025
Show remaining 3 arcs
  1. The peace talksJan 1, 2022 – Oct 13, 2026
  2. Sanctions on Russia and the fight over its frozen assetsJan 12, 2022 – Oct 16, 2026
  3. The front line and the long-range strikesJan 14, 2022 – Oct 16, 2026

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Jun 28– 302022NATO formally invites Finland and Sweden to join alliance61 articles · 33 sources
7 left, 17 center, 6 right
May 13– 172022Finland will seek to join NATO, leaders say, ditching decades of neutrality despite Russia's threats of retaliation193 articles · 65 sources
19 left, 31 center, 11 right
May 12– 142022Putin Warns Finland Over Joining NATO As Russia Cuts Off Electricity8 articles · 8 sources
2 left, 2 center, 3 right

Who covered it, over timeshare of the sources publishing each week, by side

Feb 21, 2022 - Jul 3, 2022

Share of the sources publishing each week that covered it

0%10%20%30%40%50%
Feb 21, 2022Jun 27, 2022

LeftCenterRight

Week of Jun 27, 2022 - Jul 3, 2022: 7 left, 17 center, 6 right, 15% of the sources that published that week · 54 articles

Show every week as a table
WeekLeftCenterRightArticlesShare
Feb 21, 2022 - Feb 27, 202203252%
Feb 28, 2022 - Mar 6, 202200000%
Mar 7, 2022 - Mar 13, 202200000%
Mar 14, 2022 - Mar 20, 202200000%
Mar 21, 2022 - Mar 27, 202200000%
Mar 28, 2022 - Apr 3, 202200000%
Apr 4, 2022 - Apr 10, 202211242%
Apr 11, 2022 - Apr 17, 2022610104513%
Apr 18, 2022 - Apr 24, 202200000%
Apr 25, 2022 - May 1, 202200000%
May 2, 2022 - May 8, 202200000%
May 9, 2022 - May 15, 202221401731040%
May 16, 2022 - May 22, 2022141496919%
May 23, 2022 - May 29, 202200000%
May 30, 2022 - Jun 5, 202200000%
Jun 6, 2022 - Jun 12, 202200000%
Jun 13, 2022 - Jun 19, 202200000%
Jun 20, 2022 - Jun 26, 202200000%
Jun 27, 2022 - Jul 3, 202271765415%

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

29% left · 50% center · 21% right of 89 sources on the spectrum, across 6 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. February 2022

    Feb 25Russia issues ominous warning to Finland, Sweden should they join NATO5 articles · 5 sources
    0 left, 3 center, 2 right

  2. April 2022

    Apr 8– 15Finland Joining NATO ‘Highly Likely’ And Hopefully ‘Swift,’ Finnish Minister Says57 articles · 32 sources
    7 left, 11 center, 10 right

  3. May 2022

    May 12– 14Putin Warns Finland Over Joining NATO As Russia Cuts Off Electricity8 articles · 8 sources
    2 left, 2 center, 3 right
  4. May 12– 14Putin warns Finland NATO membership would harm relations213 articles · 70 sources
    19 left, 32 center, 15 right
  5. May 13– 17Finland will seek to join NATO, leaders say, ditching decades of neutrality despite Russia's threats of retaliation193 articles · 65 sources
    19 left, 31 center, 11 right

  6. June 2022

    Jun 28– 30NATO formally invites Finland and Sweden to join alliance61 articles · 33 sources
    7 left, 17 center, 6 right