Finland and Sweden have both decided to apply for membership in NATO, setting aside decades of effective neutrality in light of growing concerns for their own security following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“A new era is beginning,” Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said alongside Prime Minister Sanna Marin, announcing a step that the two leaders called ‘historic’.
After Finland’s announcement, Sweden also announced its intention to apply for NATO membership. Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson’s governing Social Democrats declared their support for the country’s membership in NATO following a specially-convened meeting on Sunday.
The announcement by the two countries is a move that marks a major shift in their position in the defence alliance, as the policy switch comes in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which has triggered a rethink on NATO membership in both countries.
“We are faced with a fundamentally changed security environment in Europe,” The Swedish Prime Minister said.
“The essential question for us is how best to protect Sweden and the Kremlin has shown that it is prepared to use force to achieve its political goals.”
While they have decided to join NATO, Sweden’s Social Democrats have indicated they want neither nuclear weapons nor permanent NATO bases on their territory.
Finland, meanwhile, is keen to avoid another conflict with Russia, with which it shares a border of around 1300 kilometres.
The Finnish Premier states that their decision was made so as to prevent future wars with Russia.
“When we look at Russia, we see a very different kind of Russia today than we saw just a few months ago. Everything changed when Russia attacked Ukraine,” Finish Prime Minister Marin said.
“I personally think that we cannot trust anymore that there will be a peaceful future.”
The Prime Minister claims that the decision was an act of peace and that Finland was prepared for possible responses from Moscow.
In a telephone call with Niinistö on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin described Finland’s planned accession to NATO as a mistake.
According to the Kremlin, Russia does not pose a threat to its Nordic neighbour and Finland’s departure from its long-standing neutrality would lead to a deterioration in relations. However, Niinistö also stressed that no direct threats were made.
However, Sweden and Finland’s membership applications hit a snag when NATO member Turkey’s president said he would not approve either bid unless they join under certain conditions.
At a news conference, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Sweden and Finland should not bother sending delegations to Ankara to persuade Turkey to support their bids.
“Neither of these countries has a clear, open attitude towards terrorist organisations,” Erdogan said.
“How can we trust them?”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg later said he didn’t expect Finland and Sweden’s accession to be delayed by Turkey’s objections.
Turkey had made it clear that it did not want to block accession, Stoltenberg said at the end of a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Berlin.
Turkey called on its NATO allies at the Berlin meeting on Sunday to support its fight against the banned Kurdish Workers’ Party PKK and the Kurdish YPG militia in Syria, while also slamming several NATO member states for restricting weapons exports to Turkey due to its fight against these same groups.
With AAP