Helsinki, May 11 (BNA) Finland’s leaders said, Thursday, that they support the rapid progress of NATO membership, paving the way for a historic enlargement of the alliance.
Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced the dramatic move, according to the Associated Press.
This means that Finland will almost certainly join NATO, although there are still a few steps before the application process begins. Neighboring Sweden is expected to decide to join NATO in the coming days.
The Kremlin responded to the development a few hours later, saying that Finland’s move to join NATO would not help stability and security in Europe. Finland shares a 1,340 km land border with Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia’s response to the move would depend on the specific steps NATO would take to bring its infrastructure closer to the Russian border.
Previously, the Kremlin had warned of “military and political repercussions” if Sweden and Finland decided to join NATO.
If they apply, there will be a transition period from the date the application is submitted until it is ratified by all 30 parliaments of NATO members.
NATO membership will enhance Finland’s security. “As a NATO member, Finland will strengthen the entire defense alliance,” Niinistö and Marin said in a joint statement.
Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay. We hope that the national steps that are still necessary to make this decision will be taken quickly within the next few days.”
Thursday’s statement came a day after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Finland and Sweden to sign a military cooperation agreement.
On Wednesday, the United Kingdom pledged aid to Sweden and Finland if the two Scandinavian countries were attacked.
In 2017, Sweden and Finland joined the British-led Joint Expeditionary Force, which is designed to be more flexible and respond faster than the larger NATO alliance. It uses NATO standards and doctrine, so it can work alongside NATO, the United Nations or other multinational alliances. The force has been fully operational since 2018, and has conducted a number of exercises independently and in cooperation with NATO.
The latest poll conducted by Finnish public broadcaster YLE earlier this week showed that 76% of Finns support joining NATO, a significant change from previous years when only 20-30% of respondents favored such a military alignment.
If Finland becomes a member of NATO, it would mean the biggest change in the Nordic defense and security policy since World War II when it fought two losing wars against the Soviet Union. Besides Sweden, Finland joined the European Union in 1995 and has the longest border with Russia of all the bloc’s 27 members.
Swedish Foreign Minister Anne Linde tweeted that Finland’s announcement gave an “important message” and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said there were “strong messages” from Finland’s president and prime minister.
During the Cold War, Finland moved away from NATO to avoid provoking the Soviet Union, instead choosing to remain a neutral buffer between East and West while maintaining good relations with Moscow and the United States.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the military alliance would welcome Finland and Sweden – both with strong, modern military – with open arms and expected the accession process to be fast and smooth.
NATO officials say the Scandinavian duo’s accession process could take place “within two weeks”. The most time-consuming part of the procedure – the ratification of the country’s protocol by 30 NATO members – could be completed in less than the four months or so that West Germany, Turkey and Greece to join in the 1950s had only 12 members to ratify their applications.
“These are not normal times,” a NATO official said this week, discussing potential applications for Finland and Sweden. The official was briefing journalists on the accession process, on condition of anonymity because the two countries did not submit any application.