Finland, Sweden Close to Joining NATO in Historic Policy Shift

Finland will be making a decision on whether to apply in joining the 30-member NATO Alliance in the next few weeks, Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, told reporters in a joint News Conference with her Swedish Counterpart.

Marin told reporters in the Swedish capital, Stockholm on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, that “There are different perspectives to apply [for] NATO membership or not to apply and we have to analyse these very carefully. But I think our process will be quite fast, it will happen in weeks.”

Marin averred Parliament would debate an official assessment of how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to a “change of our security environment” and evaluate making a historic shift in Finland’s defence posture. “We need to be frank about consequences and risks, both long and short term.” However, she anticipated there was “no other way to have security guarantees than under NATO’s deterrence and common defence”, therefore, a decision could come by late June 2022.

Finland and Sweden, which share a border and a similar security environment, have deepened collaboration, both among themselves and with NATO since Russia invaded Crimea in 2014. Swedish Prime Minister, Magdalena Andersson, said Moscow’s decision to invade Ukraine is a watershed moment.

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“There is a before and after 24 February. The security landscape has completely changed. Given the situation, we have to really think what is best for Sweden and our peace in this new situation.”

Swedish Prime Minister, Magdalena Andersson

Past Events Calling for the Possible Alliance

Andersson said the two countries have similar timeframes for joining NATO and “there is good reason for that”, hinting at the fact that neither Stockholm nor Helsinki, Finland’s capital, wished to be the last to stand outside the alliance.

Russia earlier warned Finland and Sweden against joining NATO, an alliance that was formed in 1949 to counter the threat of Soviet expansion, arguing that the move would not bring stability to Europe.

Kremlin Spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters that “the alliance remains a tool geared towards confrontation”. Finland, which shares a 1,340km (830-mile) border with Russia, for decades, refused to take sides on the Russia-Ukraine war, a position that kept the peace, but also restricted its sovereignty. Following the Russian Revolution in 1917, Finland was peacefully granted independence by Soviet leader, Vladimir Lenin, although a bloody civil war broke out between the ruling Conservative Party and the Communists.

Sweden also has a long history of military non-alignment but has sent weapons to Ukraine for the first time since World War II. Sweden’s governing Social Democrat Party, until now, rejected membership in NATO. But on Monday, April 11, 2022, it revealed that it is reviewing its international security policy in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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