Finland’s president and prime minister say they favour applying for NATO membership.
Helsinki (Finland)- Finland’s President and Prime Minister said Thursday that the country should apply to join NATO “without delay.” paving the way for the alliance to expand amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Finland’s extraordinary move was made in a joint statement by President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin. It implies that Finland is almost sure to apply for NATO membership, albeit there are still a few steps before it can begin. Sweden, which borders Norway, is poised to join NATO in the coming days.
Finland and Russia have a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) land border. If Sweden and Finland join NATO, the Kremlin has warned of “military and political implications.” There will be an interim period from when the application is submitted until all 30 NATO member parliaments ratify it if they apply.
“Now that the decision-making time is approaching,” Niinisto and Marin stated in a joint statement, “we present our equal views and information to the parliamentary groups and parties.” “Joining NATO would increase Finland’s security.”
“As a NATO member, Finland would boost the entire defence alliance,” they claimed. “Finland must apply for NATO membership as soon as possible.” We expect that the remaining national actions required to make this decision will be taken quickly in the coming days.”
The statement on Thursday came a day after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited both Finland and Sweden to sign a military cooperation agreement.
The U.K. pledged on Wednesday to come to the aid of Sweden and Finland if the two Nordic nations came under attack.
Sweden and Finland joined the British-led Joint Expeditionary Force in 2017, which is intended to be more flexible and responsive than the more extensive NATO alliance. It adheres to NATO norms and doctrine, allowing it to work with NATO, the United Nations, and other multinational partnerships.
Since being fully operational in 2018, the force has conducted several exercises independently and collaborated with NATO.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Finland and Sweden have been debating whether to forsake their decades-long neutrality and join NATO’s 30-member alliance.
If Finland joins NATO, it will be the most significant change in the Nordic country’s defence and security strategy since World War II, when it fought two lost battles against the Soviet Union.
During the Cold War, Finland avoided NATO not to provoke the Soviet Union, instead choosing to remain a neutral buffer between the East and the West while keeping good relations with both Moscow and the US.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has stated that the military alliance will welcome Finland and Sweden, which have powerful, modern militaries with open arms and anticipates a quick and seamless accession procedure.
