By Our Reporter,
WORLD
Finland said it would apply to join NATO “without delay”, with Sweden expected to follow suit, suggesting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will bring about the very expansion of the Western military alliance that Vladimir Putin aimed to prevent.
The decision by the two Nordic countries to abandon the neutrality they maintained throughout the Cold War would be one of the biggest shifts in European security in decades. Finland’s announcement drew fury from the Kremlin, which called it a direct threat to Russia and threatened an unspecified response.
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Thursday that Finland must apply to join the NATO military alliance “without delay”
“We hope that the national steps still needed to make this decision will be taken rapidly within the next few days,” they said in a joint statement.
The government and parliament are expected to give their approvals for the decision shortly.
In Sweden, parliament is conducting a security policy review, including the pros and cons of joining the alliance, with the results due on Friday. There is already a majority in parliament in support of NATO membership.
In parallel, the ruling Social Democrats, the biggest party in every election for the past 100 years, will decide on Sunday whether to drop long-standing opposition to NATO membership.
If Finland applies, Sweden is likely to do the same, as it would not want to be the sole Nordic outsider. Other Nordic countries – Norway, Denmark and Iceland – joined the pact as founding members.
Several recent polls suggest a majority of Swedes in favour – something never seen before Russia’s invasion.
Finland and Sweden would like to have some guarantees that NATO member nations would defend them while any application is processed and until they became full members.
Ratification can take a year, NATO diplomats say, as parliaments of all 30 NATO countries need to approve new members.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said the countries could join “quickly” and that he was sure arrangements could be found for the interim period.
Sweden and Finland have received assurances from the United States, Germany and Britain of support should they come under attack
Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto acknowledged filing a membership application by itself would not bring the two countries under the umbrella of NATO’s Article 5, which guarantees that an attack on one ally is an attack on all.
“But at the same time NATO member countries have an interest in that no security breaches would take place during the application period,” Haavisto said. Finland could, for instance, hold enhanced military exercises with NATO members during that time.
Moscow has repeatedly warned of “serious consequences” if Finland and Sweden join NATO, saying it would have to strengthen its land, naval and air forces in the Baltic Sea, and raised the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons in the area
One of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies warned NATO on Thursday that if Sweden and Finland joined the U.S.-led military alliance then Russia would deploy nuclear weapons and hypersonic missiles in a European exclave.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said that should Sweden and Finland join NATO then Russia would have to strengthen its land, naval and air forces in the Baltic Sea.
Medvedev also explicitly raised the nuclear threat by saying that there could be no more talk of a “nuclear free” Baltic – where Russia has its Kaliningrad exclave sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania.
“There can be no more talk of any nuclear–free status for the Baltic – the balance must be restored,” said Medvedev, who was Russian president from 2008 to 2012.
Medvedev said he hoped Finland and Sweden would see sense. If not, he said, they would have to live with nuclear weapons and hypersonic missiles close to home.
