Russia has already warned that the Scandinavian country’s accession to the alliance will have serious consequences
Finland’s president and prime minister, Sauli Niinisto and Sanna Marin, respectively, announced on Thursday their support for the country’s possible accession to NATO, stressing that Helsinki’s accession to the Atlantic Alliance would “strengthen Finland’s security”. Russia has already warned that the Nordic country’s accession to the alliance will have serious consequences.
“NATO membership would strengthen Finland’s security. As a member of NATO, Finland would strengthen the alliance as a whole. Finland urgently needs to submit a NATO application. We hope that the steps still needed at the national level to reach this solution coming, the next few days will be taken quickly,” they emphasized.
The Presidency offices and the Finnish government released a joint statement in which Niinisto and Marin highlighted the “important discussions” about Finland’s possible accession to the bloc and emphasized that “time was needed for the formation of a position both in Parliament and in society at large.” “It has taken time to establish close international contacts with NATO and its member states, as well as with Sweden. We wanted to give the debate the space it needs,” they said. “Now As the moment of decision-making approaches, we underline our common position to inform political groups and parties,” they agreed.
Niinisto himself stated on Wednesday that Finland’s possible accession to NATO is not aimed “against anyone”, referring to Russia. “If we want to maximize our security, it means maximizing our country’s defenses,” he said at a press conference with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Both Finland and Sweden have considered the possibility of abandoning their traditional neutrality and joining the Atlantic Alliance in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The latest polls show that 68% of Finns are in favor of joining NATO, more than double the number before the invasion of Ukraine, and only 12% are against it. In Sweden it is tighter, but there is also a majority in favor of joining NATO.
If Sweden and Finland’s accession bear fruit, NATO’s 30 member states will need to ratify membership of both European nations, which could take another long period of four months to a year, although it is expected to be resolved in the fork shorter time.
Sweden and Finland’s accession to NATO could be completed before the end of the year or early 2023, after a negotiation process lasting just a few days, given the two Scandinavian countries’ proximity to the Atlantic Alliance, a NATO spokesman said. .
Source: La Verdad
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
