Russia has expressed its intention to strengthen its defenses along its 1,300km border with Finland following the announcement that Finland will join the transatlantic defense alliance, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as its 31st member.

This move by Finland could have significant implications for the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, which was triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It is also a political and strategic setback for President Vladimir Putin, who has been critical of NATO’s expansion towards Russia and has used this as a justification for his country’s actions in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Finland’s decision to join NATO represents a political and strategic setback for Putin and has received international praise.

Furthermore, this decision by Finland marks a significant shift from its long-standing policy of neutrality and non-alignment. In May 2022, Finland and its neighbor, Sweden, applied to join NATO, which Russia vehemently opposed. The expansion of the West’s military alliance has been used as a pretext for Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, leaving Sweden and Finland feeling vulnerable and uncertain about their security.

Former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb has described Finland’s joining NATO as a “done deal” since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The events in Ukraine have brought back a sense of familiarity for many Finns who remember the Soviet invasion of Finland in 1939. Additionally, Finnish public opinion has been radically altered by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with support for NATO membership increasing from one-third to almost 80%.

However, opinions are divided on Finland’s decision to abandon its neutrality to join NATO. Some argue that Russian President Vladimir Putin perceives NATO expansion as a direct threat to his country’s security, and this recent expansion may be perceived as a provocation.

Last year when the respective countries applied to join NATO, Russia’s foreign ministry warned both Finland and Sweden of the “consequences” of joining the alliance. Many fear that this move could trigger another international conflict, while others worry about the risk of Russian cyber attacks, disinformation campaigns, and occasional airspace violations. Despite these concerns, the arguments in favor of the alliance outweigh the critics.

This prompted Real Research to conduct a survey on the subject to obtain a clearer understanding of how people worldwide perceive the newly formed alliance between NATO and Finland. Hence, hurry and answer the survey on public opinion on Finland’s strategic alliance with NATO in the Real Research app from April 8, 2023, and receive 60 TNCs as a reward.

Survey Details

Survey Title:
Survey: Public Opinion on Finland’s Strategic Alliance with NATO

Target Number of Participants:
10,000 Users

Demographics

Nationality: All
Age: 21-99
Gender: All
Resident Country: All
Marital Status: All
Language: All
KYC Level: All

Note: This survey is closed. You can view the results here – 51% Feel Finland Joining NATO Would Change the War in Favor of Russia.