Finland will join NATO in a few days. “All 30 NATO allies have now ratified the accession protocol,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday. “Finland will officially join our alliance in the coming days.” The Turkish parliament approved Finland’s accession on Thursday evening. Sweden, which had also applied for membership, is still awaiting approval from Turkey and Hungary.
A large majority in the Turkish parliament voted to admit it – all that is still missing are the formalities before Finland can soon become the 31st member of NATO. 28 of the 30 NATO countries voted in favor a long time ago, Hungary on Monday.
Marin: “Will ensure safety”
“Finland is now ready to join NATO,” Finnish President Sauli Niinistö wrote on Twitter immediately after the vote. Without mentioning Turkey individually, he thanked all 30 NATO members for their trust and support. His country will be a strong and capable ally. Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin also sent a collective thank you to all NATO members via Twitter.
“As allies, we will now provide and receive security. We will defend each other,” she tweeted shortly. Both also expressed support for Finland’s neighbor Sweden on the way to the military alliance.
Despite the election, there is no doubt about participation
For the Finns, the approval from Ankara comes at a special time: a new parliament will be elected in their country on Sunday. But even a change of government in Helsinki will not change anything about joining NATO: there is a broad consensus in the country to join the Western Defense Alliance.
An important reason for this unity is the approximately 1,340 kilometer long border with Russia. Impressed by the Russian offensive war in Ukraine, Finland decided to apply for NATO membership together with Sweden last May.
Sweden still needs sanctions from Türkiye and Hungary
However, unlike Finland, Sweden still lacks the ratification of Hungary and Turkey. Turkey accuses Sweden of failing to act sufficiently against “terrorist organisations” and criticizes the fact that extradition requests are not answered. Hungary, on the other hand, recently criticized Swedish rulings on the rule of law and corruption – for a long time, the Swedes had not actually expected any objections from Budapest.
It is still unclear when – or if – the two countries will give their blessing to Sweden. Sweden hopes this can happen by the next NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius in July.
There are only a few hurdles left
Finland’s admission could already be sealed at the meeting of NATO foreign ministers next Tuesday and Wednesday. According to information from NATO circles, Turkey has yet to officially report the ratification of the accession protocol to the US State Department. Then NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg can officially invite Finland to join. Once Finland accepts and deposits the relevant documents, it will become an official member.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
