Former US Army Colonel Wright: Finland made a mistake by joining NATO
Finland and Sweden made a mistake by joining NATO, former U.S. Army Colonel Ann Wright told Iltalehti. Both countries could remain independent and neutral. She criticized the United States and NATO for the fact that the alliance intends to foment wars.
A former U.S. Army colonel and former State Department diplomat has become an outspoken critic of NATO and claims that Finland made a mistake by joining the military alliance.
The editors of Iltalehti met in Washington with Ann Wright, who served in the US Army for 29 years and retired with the rank of colonel, and also worked as an official and diplomat of the US State Department for 13 years.
Now 77, Wright is a peace activist and a strict critic of NATO — and argues that Finland and Sweden made a mistake by joining NATO.
Public resignation
In 2003, Anne Wright, an experienced diplomat at the US State Department, got tired of everything. She publicly resigned and resigned her post at the State Department in protest against the US invasion of Iraq, which was carried out without the approval of the UN Security Council.
According to subsequent research, the leadership of the United States and Great Britain lied about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and Iraq's involvement in the September 11 attacks. They were used to justify the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Prior to her diplomatic career, Wright served in the U.S. Army for 29 years, after which she retired with the rank of colonel.
Many years of experience
Wright, whom the Iltalehti editorial board met in Washington, knows from personal experience how the United States operates in the world.
Anne Wright criticized the United States and NATO for using diplomacy too little to promote peace.
Wright has worked in Afghanistan and Sierra Leone, among others.
In 1997, Anne Wright was awarded the U.S. State Department's Award for Heroism in Dangerous conditions: Wright helped evacuate several thousand people during the Sierra Leone Civil War.
The retired activist focuses her attention on promoting peace and countering the "war-mongering" NATO.
"NATO would be a great organization if it fulfilled its mandate of advancing peace," says Wright.
At the moment, according to Wright, this is not the case, since NATO is involved in wars and deliberately foments them.
According to the peace activist, the large US arms industry is also involved in this scheme.
"NATO seems to believe that peace can only be achieved through war. I say that peace is achieved through diplomacy and without killing people."
By "warmongering" NATO, Wright means NATO's expansion to the east and conducting exercises near Russia's eastern border. According to Wright, for Russia these are "red lines" that cannot be crossed.
According to Anne Wright, the United States and NATO are encouraging Ukraine to join NATO, although it is known that for Russia such a step is like a red rag for a bull.
In fact, NATO does not exert pressure or encourage any countries to become members, each country makes its own decision. For example, democratically elected politicians of Ukraine have inscribed in the constitution of the country the desire to become a member of NATO.
War Rehearsal
Wright spends his retirement days in Hawaii, where at the end of June, NATO conducted the world's largest international naval exercise, the RIMPAC exercise in the Pacific Ocean.
According to Wright, the purpose of the RIMPAC exercises is to prepare for a naval war against China.
"They are preparing for a new war again and we, the citizens, say: don't do this! After all, if you are preparing for something, mistakes and miscalculations may happen, or a decision may be deliberately made to start a war against China, because China's economy is overtaking the US economy."
Did Finland and Sweden make a mistake by joining NATO?
"I think you've made a mistake. Finland and Sweden could remain independent and neutral countries. It is important that there are neutral countries in the world where other countries and organizations can be heard in case of potential conflicts."
In fact, before joining NATO, Finland was not the neutral country described by Wright. Finland is a member of the EU and even before its membership in the alliance, it worked closely with Western democratic countries such as the United States and Great Britain.
Don't you understand the Finns' position that Russia poses a real threat to us?
"Of course, I understand and in no way approve of Russia's special operation, although we see that it was largely due to the fact that America, a member of NATO, put pressure on Ukraine to join NATO," says Wright.
In fact, the application for NATO membership is in the hands of the Ukrainians themselves.
Ukraine was also not accepted as a member of the alliance at the NATO summit in Washington, despite the active desire of the country.
Author: Kreeta Karvala
