Sweden and Finland are getting closer and closer to joining NATO. After Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde signed her country’s NATO membership application, the Finnish parliament has now also given the green light. With their applications, both Scandinavian countries are responding to a changed security situation as a result of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. Incidentally, Finnish brewers have also reacted to the country’s changed NATO position (see video above).
On Tuesday, 188 Finnish MPs voted in favor of joining the military alliance in Helsinki, only eight voted against. The Swedish application is now being sent to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg as soon as possible Finland signed an application, Linde announced. Finland President Sauli Niinistö and the Finnish government have already decided to apply.
Swedish King Carl XVI. Gustaf stressed his country’s intention “at the same time and in accordance with” Finlandto join NATO. “This is a historic step that we are taking side by side with our brother country,” he said at a press conference with Niinistö in Stockholm on Tuesday. Niinistö had previously arrived in the Swedish capital for a two-day state visit.
Moscow downplayed the immediate consequences of impending membership for the two Scandinavian countries. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov sees no big difference. Both Finland and Sweden have participated in NATO maneuvers for years, Lavrov said.
Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of having a “bazaar mentality” over his blockade of NATO expansion. People know how bazaars work in Turkey, Asselborn said in the ZDF “Morgenmagazin” on Tuesday. “And sometimes the mentality, especially Erdogan’s, is also shaped by it.”
Erdogan had indicated that Turkey was critical of such a confession. He accused both countries of supporting “terrorist organizations” such as the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). In my opinion, Turkey is not concerned with the Kurdish issue at all, but with the supply of F16 fighter jets, Asselborn explained.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed his optimism that Turkey will do that NATO-Will not block the accession of Sweden and Finland. Scholz said in Berlin on Tuesday that he was confident that both countries could be admitted soon. At the same time, the chancellor added that both countries could be sure of Germany’s support.
Nehammer defends Austria’s neutrality
After Sweden and Finland announced their applications for NATO membership, Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) defended Austria’s neutrality. “Austria was neutral, is neutral and will remain neutral,” the chancellor reiterated on Tuesday during a visit to Prague, a statement he made immediately after the outbreak of war in Ukraine. “This question is not an issue for Austria, we also have a different history than Sweden and Finland.”
Tanner: “Neutrality is in the heart of the Austrians”
Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) had previously made similar statements during a meeting with her EU colleagues in Brussels. “It is the decision of each individual state to join an alliance,” she said, referring to Sweden and Finland. For Austria, “Constitutionally, the situation is very clear” because, unlike the two non-aligned states, it is neutral. Neutrality is “at the heart of the Austrians,” Tanner confirmed. The discussion on an Austrian security doctrine is currently underway in parliament, “in the place responsible for it,” said the defense minister. “It needs to be talked about and discussed, that’s what’s going on right now.”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
