EXPLAINER: ‘Neutral’ Europe recedes as NATO set to expand

By JAMEY KEATEN
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Finland and Sweden are inching closer to joining NATO. So the list of “neutral” countries in Europe appears poised to shrink. Experts say the definition of neutrality depends on who’s using it. Some European Union countries openly joined the bloc while not picking sides in the Cold War and its aftermath, opting mostly for economic or political unity. But security concerns prompted by Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine has changed the calculus for EU members Finland and Sweden.