The Finnish Prime Minister and the Finnish President are in favor of joining NATO.
(Photo: imago images/Lehtikuva)
Helsinki Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin have spoken out in favor of their country joining NATO. In a joint statement on Thursday, the two endorsed membership in the western military alliance. It is now expected that Finland will decide to apply for membership in the coming days. Sweden could also join NATO.
So far, Finland and Sweden have been close partners of NATO, but they are not official members. However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting rapid change in the security situation in Europe have triggered intense debates in both EU countries about joining NATO.
Finland shares a border with Russia that is more than 1,300 kilometers long, Sweden is just as close to the Baltic Sea as the giant empire. The three other Nordic countries Denmark, Norway and Iceland have been part of the alliance since NATO was founded in 1949.
Finnish President Niinistö, who is considered to be well-considered and level-headed, has long been seen as a kind of link between the EU and Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, the Ukraine war fundamentally changed the entire situation. In surveys, there was a drastic change in opinion towards Finland joining NATO. In a recent measurement, 76 percent of those surveyed were in favor of such a step. Several parties have also signaled their support for such a motion.
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Niinistö’s word carries weight in his country. He and the government ultimately decide together whether Finland will submit a NATO application. Along the way, the government published a security analysis in April, highlighting the benefits and risks of potential membership – without, however, announcing a position for or against a corresponding application.
A separate security policy analysis will be published in Sweden on Friday. At the weekend, both the governing Social Democrats in Finland and Sweden want to reveal their current NATO position – if they are in favor of joining, that would be the decisive building block on the way to NATO applications from their respective countries. Sweden’s Foreign Minister Ann Linde and Finland’s Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto are also at a NATO meeting in Berlin on Saturday. Next week, Niinistö will finally travel to Sweden’s King Carl XVI. gustaf
Denmark welcomes the position of Finland’s political leadership in favor of rapid NATO accession. “Denmark will of course warmly welcome Finland to NATO,” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen wrote on Twitter on Thursday. Finnish accession would strengthen NATO and common security. Denmark will do everything to ensure a speedy admission process once the formal application for membership has been submitted.
More: Former Finnish Prime Minister on NATO: “We are ready to join tomorrow”