Finland and Sweden take important steps towards joining NATO

Finland and Sweden, two members of the European Union, took important steps on Wednesday, April 14, towards joining NATO. The Finnish government presented a major security report to the country's parliament, and the Swedish government began reviewing the country's security options.

Russia's military invasion of Ukraine has boosted public support for NATO membership in Sweden and Finland. Recent polls show that in Finland, a majority of people support NATO membership, and in Sweden, the number of people in favor far exceeds the number of those opposed.

Finland, with a population of about 5.5 million, has the longest border with Russia among European countries, at about 1,340 kilometers, but Sweden does not share a border with Russia.

The Russian government has warned Finland and Sweden against joining NATO, saying such a move would not contribute to European stability. Russian officials have said Moscow will respond to such a decision with "military and political consequences" for Finland and Sweden.

One of the reasons for Russia's military invasion of Ukraine is that Kiev refused to accept the condition of not joining NATO.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in a joint press conference with her Swedish counterpart Magdalena Andersson on Wednesday that after lengthy discussions in parliament, Finland is ready to make a decision on joining NATO "in weeks, not months."

Ms. Marin emphasized that despite extensive political, economic, and military cooperation, Finland and Sweden will each decide separately on security policies, including the issue of NATO membership.

“Of course, we will make such a decision considering the impact not only on our own country but also on our neighbors,” the Finnish prime minister added, noting that he would prefer both Finland and Sweden to join NATO.

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson also said the two countries would continue "open and honest discussions" about each side's decision on NATO membership in the coming weeks.

Ms. Andersson added that the Swedish government, with the participation of all parties in parliament, is considering a new report on the security situation, which will probably be completed by the end of May or earlier. In addition, the ruling Social Democratic Party of Sweden has also separately launched a review of the country's security issues in the new environment.

Finnish experts believe that the only option for joining NATO would be to increase military and security cooperation between the two countries with the United States and Norway, both of which are NATO members.

Currently, the Social Democratic parties are in power in both countries. Both parties are expected to announce their final position on NATO membership in May. The parliaments of both countries have also held preliminary discussions and are ready to make decisions. The Finnish parliament is expected to make a decision in late May and the Swedish parliament a little later.

One issue that may complicate the decision-making process in Sweden to some extent is the parliamentary elections scheduled for September, which will most likely be overshadowed by decisions on NATO.

The President of Finland has announced that his country will make its final decision before the next NATO summit, which will be held in Madrid on June 29-30.

The Finnish government submitted its report on the country's security situation to parliament on Wednesday, which will be reviewed after the Easter holidays. The report examines the strengths and weaknesses of NATO membership, focusing on threats to raw material supplies, economic consequences, cybersecurity and hybrid threats.

"The war that Russia started has jeopardized the stability and security of the whole of Europe," Finland's foreign minister said in a report to parliament. "Russia's military aggression will have a long-term impact on our security, and trust in Russia has been severely undermined."

Source: Radio Farda