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Imagine a small, democratic nation, perched on top of a diverse and bustling continent. Outside of a few cities, its people are spread out over a vast northern hinterland. Its long, largely unguarded border is shared with one of the world’s military superpowers. And that neighbor has recently articulated a desire to acquire new territory.

What might that small country do to protect its independence? In the case of post-World War II Finland, the solution was a delicate balancing act: Helsinki sought to stay on the good side of the neighboring Soviet Union while maintaining a nominal degree of political independence. At a time when many of the Soviet Union’s other neighbors were being forced to adopt its political, economic, and diplomatic rules, Finland was able to keep its own intact after successfully resisting several Soviet invasions—but only by promising not to threaten Soviet interests.

Imagine a small, democratic nation, perched on top of a diverse and bustling continent. Outside of a few cities, its people are spread out over a vast northern hinterland. Its long, largely unguarded border is shared with one of the world’s military superpowers. And that neighbor has recently articulated a desire to acquire new territory.

What might that small country do to protect its independence? In the case of post-World War II Finland, the solution was a delicate balancing act: Helsinki sought to stay on the good side of the neighboring Soviet Union while maintaining a nominal degree of political independence. At a time when many of the Soviet Union’s other neighbors were being forced to adopt its political, economic, and diplomatic rules, Finland was able to keep its own intact after successfully resisting several Soviet invasions—but only by promising not to threaten Soviet interests.

Ever since, “Finlandization” has become a byword among foreign-policy experts for a country that abandons the pursuit of an independent foreign policy to forestall aggression from a much larger, more powerful neighbor. This is one reason why Finland’s recent NATO accession was such a monumental shift: The country broke decades of careful neutrality to side with the West.

Today, as U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly threatens Canada with economic warfare and outright annexation, the country’s situation is eerily reminiscent of where Finland stood three-quarters of a century ago. In a speech at this year’s........

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