Russian President Vladimir Putin committed a “huge strategic blunder” by launching the war in Ukraine as Finland and Sweden are set to join NATO this summer, according to a report in The Times, which quotes US officials without naming them.

US officials told the British newspaper that the membership of the two Nordic countries in the alliance was “the subject of discussion” and “several meetings” between foreign ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries last week, which included Stockholm and Helsinki, according to the Times.

Finland, which has a long border with Russia and was invaded by the Red Army in 1939, was never a member of the Cold War defence alliance, preferring instead to organise its own protection.
However, since Russia‘s intervention in Ukraine in February, polls conducted by Finnish media have shown a rapid shift in public opinion with a majority now in favour of accession.

And Sweden is currently undertaking a review of its insurance that is expected to be completed at the end of this month – similar to Finland‘s timetable, the Times reports.

If membership is approved, the NATO alliance will grow to 32 nations amid hopes that the Russian military will expand even further.