NATO's border with Russia may be about to double, if Finland decides to join the Western military alliance. Since the proximity of NATO to the Russian border is one of the excuses Putin is using for going to war - the news that Finland may be about to join NATO is of vital importance to everyone.
The irony is of course that Putin wanted to stop closer links with the West and may well have done the opposite, driving Finland into the arms of NATO as it worries about its own defences, given the vicious Russian attack on Ukraine.
But everyone should think carefully about whether this is in the security interest of the world and to at least understand what the dramatic change there has been in a relatively short period, with the increasing closeness of NATO troops to Russia and how best to create stability and reduce tension.
To be clear - the growing length of the NATO/Russian border is absolutely no excuse for the monstrous Russian attack on Ukraine - but in assessing what is best for NATO members it is important to understand how Russia would react to a doubling of his perceived threat and our ability and willingness to defend a sudden doubling of the border.
The answer may well be - that it is in our interest to dramatically increase this NATO border and that we are able and willing too defend it - but before doing so, we should be careful to consider the context in which we are making the decision and the likely reaction both now and in the future.
THE LENGTH OF RUSSIA'S BORDER WITH NATO COUNTRIES
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