Finland becomes 31st Nato member, but Sweden must play waiting game
▶ Alliance diplomats confident time will overcome objections from Turkey and Hungary
Finland’s flag was raised at Nato headquarters in Brussels yesterday, taking the alliance to 31 members in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Finland left behind its neighbour Sweden, which is kept waiting by Turkish objections.
“It is a great day for Finland,” said President Sauli Niinisto before his country’s flag was raised.
The ceremony came minutes after Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto gave his country’s accession papers to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the keeper of Nato’s founding treaty.
The handover marked the moment Finland became an official Nato member, an event that coincided with the 74th anniversary of the alliance. US President Joe Biden said Nato was “stronger than ever”.
Finland’s accession, which doubles the length of the border that the alliance shares with Russia, angered Moscow.
“The Kremlin believes that this is the latest aggravation of the situation,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“The expansion of Nato is an assault on our security and Russia’s national interests. And this forces us to take countermeasures … in tactical and strategic terms.”
Mr Niinisto said it was not up to the Kremlin to tell Finland what to do.
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Russian President Vladimir Putin had “wanted to slam Nato’s door shut”.
“Today we show the world that he failed, that aggression and intimidation do not work,” he said. “Finland now has the strongest friends and allies in the world.”
Finland’s first move as a Nato member was to endorse Sweden’s accession application and hand its articles of ratification to Mr Stoltenberg.
Sweden had hoped to join Nato at the same time as Finland after the two countries filed a joint request in May.
Their bid was supported by Nato allies, but Turkey made demands regarding Kurdish militant groups that its government views as a security threat.
Sweden yesterday lifted a ban on Quran-burning protests, further angering Turkey.
The burning of the Quran by far-right politician Rasmus Paludan led to international condemnation.
But judges ruled that fears of violent reprisals against Sweden did not justify a ban on further actions at the Turkish and Iraqi embassies.
It came as five people were arrested, suspected of a terrorist plot in Sweden amid “calls for attacks” after the Quran incident in January.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said his country valued freedom of expression but regarded burning the Quran as inappropriate.
Turkey’s parliament voted to ratify Helsinki’s application last week but has held out on Sweden. Hungary has
Finland’s accession, which doubles the length of the border that the alliance shares with Russia, angered Moscow
also opposed Sweden joining Nato, referring to “grievances” that were linked to Stockholm’s criticism of policies enacted by Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
All eyes are on the Turkish presidential election in May.
Mr Billstrom said he hoped the election would pave the way to his country joining Nato.
Questioned by The National, he said that the decision of a Stockholm court to overturn a police ban on gatherings where protesters had planned to burn the Quran was “not final”.
The decision can be appealed to the supreme administrative court, he said.
He said that the arrest of the five suspects with alleged ISIS links was outside of his government’s responsibility but pointed out that Sweden had tightened its counter-terrorism legislation at Turkey’s request.