The Financial Times is reporting {link here, paywall} that Finland and Sweden are likely to join the NATO alliance. According to the reporting {also in Reuters} the application from Finland is expected in June and Sweden shortly thereafter.
Adding Sweden and Finland would be a major escalation in both the western conflict and provocations against Russia, obviously, justified by western leaders as a consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, in the big analysis, the global financial system appears to be the larger issue.

From the outset of the Russian military operation into Ukraine, it was obvious the western alliance was intent on an almost ‘all or nothing‘ confrontation with Russia. The only limits to what the alliance was willing to do was trigger a nuclear showdown through direct military action against Russia to protect the non-NATO country of Ukraine.
The NATO and western government response was a fast system of financial sanctions intended to cripple the Russian economy. However, Russia responded to those actions with countermoves on the trade front, beginning to establish the first ever non-Euro and non-dollar-based trade system. In essence, a financial trading system created by the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).
Therefore, if we think about the current status of geopolitics and international finance, the NATO response now involves a priority of controlling and protecting the previously established financial structures of global trade. A NATO effort to avoid the cleaving is now underway as an outcome of the sanctions against Russia.
As one person put it, “This is a fight for the dollar as reserve currency. Imagine trying to maintain our debt when nobody wants treasury notes. If BRICS succeed, US collapses as an economic power. On the other hand, if we win, Klaus Schwab’s nutty world wins.” I tend to agree with this outlook because it parallels something we see domestically in the U.S.

The White House occupant took to the literal stage today to gaslight the American people and state it is not his energy policy that has created massive increases in gas prices. Instead, chief of staff Ron Klain has convinced the puppet to claim Vladimir Putin is to blame for the increase in oil costs.
The Recount 
The EU has few options as they are reliant upon Russia for energy products oil and gas. If Putin organizes payment in rubles, his currency will automatically increase. This sets the stage for other less hostile countries like the BRICS alliance to assist Putin ideologically and financially by transacting in rubles through the Russian central bank.