Historic move for Finns, Swedes

FINLAND LEADS CHARGE FOR MEMBERSHIP Member Turkey objects, but body is ‘sure they will reach consensus’.

The Finnish government officially announced its intention to join Nato yesterday, as Sweden’s ruling party held a decisive meeting that could pave the way for a joint application.

Less than three months after Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, the move is a stunning reversal of Finland’s policy on military non-alignment, dating back more than 75 years.

Sweden, which has been militarily non-aligned for more than two centuries, is expected to follow suit with a similar announcement, possibly today.

“This is a historic day. A new era is opening,” Finnish President Sauli Niinisto told reporters at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Sanna Marin yesterday.

Nato membership needs to be approved and ratified by all 30 members of the alliance.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed last-minute objections, but Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday that Ankara was not opposed to the two countries’ bids.

“Turkey made it clear that its intention is not to block membership,” Stoltenberg told reporters virtually, after alliance foreign ministers had met in Berlin.

“I am confident we’ll be able to find common ground, consensus on how to move on membership issues,” Stoltenberg said, adding he was in touch with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Cavusoglu meanwhile lauded Finland’s conciliatory approach in their talks, but criticised Sweden’s foreign minister for “provocative” statements.

Turkey’s objections, directed in particular at Stockholm, focussed on what it considered to be the countries’ leniency towards the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is on the EU’s list of terrorist organisations.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken nonetheless insisted he was “very confident that we will reach consensus” on the two countries’ Nato bids.

Niinisto said he was “prepared to have a new discussion with President Erdogan about the problemshe raised”.

Finland’s parliament will convene to debate the membership proposal today.

“We hope the parliament will confirm the decision to apply for Nato membership during the coming days. It will be based on a strong mandate,” Marin said.

A vast majority of Finnish MPs back the decision after Marin’s Social Democratic Party on Saturday said it was in favour of joining.

“Hopefully, we can send our applications next week together with Sweden’s,” Marin said.

The two Nordic countries broke their strict post-Cold War neutrality by joining the EU and becoming partners to Nato in the 1990s, solidifying their affiliation with the West.

But the concept of full Nato membership was a nonstarter in the countries until the war in Ukraine saw public and political support for joining the alliance soar.

Finland, which shares a 1 300km long border with Russia, has been leading the charge, while Sweden appears anxious at being the only non-Nato country around the Baltic Sea.

Finland is also Sweden’s closest defence cooperation partner.

Many Swedish politicians have said their support is conditional on Finland joining.

On Saturday, the Finnish head of state phoned his Russian counterpart President Vladimir Putin to inform him of his country’s desire to join Nato, in a conversation described as “direct and straightforward”.

Moscow has repeatedly warned both countries of consequences if they join the alliance.

Putin warned Niinisto that joining “would be a mistake since there is no threat to Finland’s security”, according to a Kremlin statement.

Niinisto said yesterday that while Helsinki is prepared for a Russian response, “little by little, I’m beginning to think that we’re not going to face actual military operations.

“After the phone call with Putin, I think so even more.”

Former Finnish prime minister Alexander Stubb told the BBC yesterday that Putin was “the reason we’re joining” Nato.

“We could easily call it Vladimir Putin’s Nato enlargement”, he said.

According to recent polls, the number of Finns who want to join the alliance has risen to over three-quarters of the population, almost triple than before the war in Ukraine.

In Sweden, support has also risen dramatically, to around 50%. –

One could easily call it Putin’s Nato enlargement