Arthur Greene
Isimo siye sashuba phakathi kwe-Russia namazwe aseNtshonalanga ngoLwesine ngesikhathi abaholi base-Finland bememezela inhloso yabo yokujoyina i-Nato, umfelandawonye wezimpi oholwa iMelika.
I-Russia, eyabelana ngomngcele ongu-1,300 km ne-Finland, ithi ibona ubulungu bukamakhelwane bayo kwi-Nato njenge zinsongo ezweni layo.
UMengameli wase-Finland uSauli Niinistö kanye noNdunankulu uSanna Marin bakhiphe isitatimende ngokuhlanganyela ngoLwesine, esithi: “Ubulungu bethu kwi-Nato buzoqinisa ezokuphepha e-Finland. Njengelungu le-Nato, i-Finland izoqinisa wonke umfelandawonye wezokuvikela.”
I-Nato, emele i-North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, yasungulwa e-Washington ngo-1949. Amazwe ayo ayisungula adala umfelandawonye ngesikhathi seMpi Yomshoshaphansi ukuze anikeze ukuphepha okuhlangene. Uma izwe elilodwa eliyilungu lihlaselwa, amanye ayephoqeleka ukuthi asize alivikele.
Kodwa-ke, ukwethembeka kuhambisana nethuba lokuthi amazwe angamalungu angakwazi ukusingatha iziza zamabhomu aseMelika, okwenza i-Russia izizwe isongelewa uma izwe eliseduze nayo lijoyina umfelandawonye.
Uma i-Finland ijoyina i-Nato, ngeke kube izwe lokuqala elabelana ngomngcele ne-Russia elijoyinayo. I-Estonia, i-Latvia, i-Poland kanye ne-Lithuania wonke angamalungu futhi angomakhelwane bendawo elawulwa yi-Russia.
I-Ukraine, ngokucacisa, ayilona ilungu le-Nato.
Selokhu i-Russia iqale ukuhlasela i-Ukraine ngomhlaka-24 kuNhlolanja, awekho amasosha e-Nato abambe iqhaza ngqo kule ngxabano. Banikeze i-Ukraine izikhali, kodwa abazange bahlanganyele nempi.
Uma i-Russia ingahlasela izwe eliyilungu le-Nato, lokhu kungase kuholele empini namazwe aseNtshonalanga lapho i-UK, i-Melika, i-France kanye neJalimane bayophoqeleka ukuthi bajoyine.
Ngemuva kwesimemezelo sikaNiinistö noMarin, okhulumela i-Kremlin uDmitry Peskov uxwayise ngokuthi i-Russia “nakanjani” izobona ubulungu be-Finland njenge zinsongo.
“Ukunwetshwa kwe-Nato kanye nendlela yokubambisana emingceleni yethu akwenzi ukuthi umhlaba nezwekazi lethu kuzinze futhi kuvikeleke,” kusho uPeskov.
“Konke kuzoncika ekutheni le nqubo yenzeka kanjani, ukuthi ingqalasizinda yezimpi ifinyelela kude kangakanani emingceleni yethu.”
I-Nato isivele yasho ukuthi izokwamukela i-Finland ngezandla ezimhlophe.
I-Sweden, elinye izwe elihamba phambili e-Europe elingelona ilungu le-Nato, nayo iveze ukuthi ifuna ukujoyina i-Nato ngenxa yokuthi i-Russia ihlasele i-Ukraine.