Finland’s government announced on Sunday that it will apply to join NATO, abandoning decades of wartime neutrality and ignoring Russian threats of possible retaliation as the Nordic country tries to strengthen its security after the outbreak of war in Ukraine. .
The decision was announced at a joint press conference on Sunday with President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who said the measure must be ratified by the country’s parliament before proceeding.
“We hope that parliament will confirm the decision to apply for NATO membership,” Marin said during a press conference in Helsinki on Sunday. “Over the next few days. It will be based on a strong mandate, with the President of the Republic. We have been in close contact with the governments of NATO member states and with NATO itself.”
The move would take the US-led military alliance to Finland’s 1,300-kilometer border with Russia, but could take months to finalize as legislatures of all 30 current members must approve new candidates.
It also risks provoking the ire of Russia, whose President Vladimir Putin told his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinistö on Saturday that abandoning military neutrality and joining the bloc would be a “mistake”, according to a Kremlin statement. On Saturday, Russia cut off electricity supply to the Nordic country after problems receiving payments.
Since the end of World War II, during which Finland was invaded by the Soviet Union, the country has been militarily non-aligned and nominally neutral to avoid provoking Russia. At times, he gave in to the Kremlin’s security concerns and tried to maintain good business relationships.
The invasion of Ukraine changed that calculus.
On Saturday, Niinistö called to inform Putin of Finland’s intentions to join the bloc, saying that “Russian demands at the end of 2021 aimed at preventing countries from joining NATO and Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 changed Finland’s security environment,” according to a statement from the Finnish president’s office.
Sweden has expressed similar frustrations and is also expected to make a similar move to join the military alliance.
Both countries already meet many of the criteria for joining NATO, which include having a functioning democratic political system based on a market economy; treat minority populations fairly; committing to resolve conflicts peacefully; the ability and willingness to make a military contribution to NATO operations; and commit to democratic civil-military relations and institutions.
NATO member Turkey, which has posed as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine, expressed reservations about the integration of Finland and Sweden into the alliance.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that he is not looking “positively” at Finland and Sweden joining NATO, accusing both counties of harboring Kurdish “terrorist organisations”.
*with input from Joshua Berlinger of CNN
Source: CNN Brasil
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