Finland and Sweden apply to join Nato
● Mariupol a win for Putin as Russian forces fall back elsewhere
Finland and Sweden formally applied to join Nato yesterday, prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and triggering one of the most significant changes in Europe’s security architecture in decades.
The applications came after more than 250 Ukrainian fighters surrendered to Russian forces at the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol after weeks of resistance, bringing an end to the most devastating siege of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Finland and Sweden were both neutral throughout the Cold War, and their decision to join Nato reflects the sweeping shift in public opinion in the Nordic region since Russia’s February 24 invasion.
It also brings about an expansion of the Western alliance that Russian President Vladimir Putin had long invoked as one of the main justifications for ordering his “special military operation” in Ukraine in February.
“This is a historic moment, which we must seize,” Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said at a ceremony in which the Swedish and Finnish ambassadors to the alliance handed over their application letters.
Ratification of all 30 allied parliaments could take up to a year, diplomats say.
Turkey has surprised its allies in recent days by saying it had reservations about the new prospective members, but Stoltenberg said he thought the issues could be overcome.
Ankara has said it wants the Nordic countries to halt support for Kurdish militant groups present on their territory and lift bans on some sales of arms to Turkey.
US President Joe Biden would host the leaders of Sweden and Finland at the White House today to discuss the applications, the White House said.
After weeks in which Russia threatened retaliation against the Nato plans, Putin appeared to abruptly climb down, saying in a speech on Monday that Russia had “no problems” with either Finland or Sweden, and that their Nato membership would not be an issue unless the alliance sent more troops or weapons there.
The steelworks surrender in Mariupol allowed Putin to claim a rare victory in a campaign many military analysts say has stalled.
While both sides spoke of a deal under which all Ukrainian troops would abandon the steelworks, many details were not yet public, including how many fighters remained inside.
Buses left the steelworks late on Monday in a convoy escorted by Russian armoured vehicles. Five arrived in the Russian-held town of Novoazovsk, where Moscow said wounded fighters would be treated.
Seven buses carrying Ukrainian fighters from the Azovstal garrison arrived at a newly reopened prison in the Russian-controlled town of Olenivka near Donetsk, a Reuters witness said.
Russia said at least 256 Ukrainian fighters had “laid down their arms and surrendered”, including 51 severely wounded.
Ukraine said 264 soldiers, including 53 wounded, had left. Russian defence ministry video showed fighters leaving the plant, some on stretchers.
The Kremlin said Putin had personally guaranteed the prisoners would be treated according to international standards, and Ukrainian officials said they could be exchanged for Russian captives.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Kyiv aimed to arrange a prisoner swap for the wounded once their condition stabilised, but Russian deputy ambassador to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, said there had been no deal.
Tass news agency reported a Russian committee planned to question the soldiers, many of them members of the Azov Battalion.
Azov Regiment fighters are seen as heroes in Ukraine, but reviled by the Kremlin as a band of Russia-hating neoNazis.
Formed in 2014 as a rightwing volunteer militia to fight Russian-backed separatists, the regiment denies being fascist or neo-Nazi.
The battle for Mariupol is Russia’s biggest victory since its invasion, giving it control of the Azov Sea coast and an unbroken stretch of eastern and southern Ukraine.
Russia’s offensive in the east, meanwhile, appeared to be making little progress. Ukraine’s military command said Russia continued to shell Ukrainian positions along the entire eastern front line yesterday.
Moscow now controls about 90% of Luhansk region, but is yet to make major inroads in Donetsk to extend control over the entire Donbas.