Finland will be a member of NATO this summer”, assured on Monday the Finnish Minister of Economy, Mika Lintilä. Two days later, the main parliamentary groups in the Scandinavian country declared themselves in favor of accession, which makes the governor’s prophecy plausible, considering the summit scheduled for June 29 and 30 in Madrid. Finland shares 1340 kilometers of border with Russia.
With a Russian threat increasingly imminent in territories close to Ukraine, the Swedish government has decided to bring forward plans for a new security policy by two weeks, stressing that the majority of its population is in favor of joining NATO.
The information was advanced by the country’s Foreign Minister, Ann Linde, this Thursday, saying that the executive will present a parliamentary analysis on the new security policy, provoked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on May 13, instead of on the 31st of that month, as planned.
This change is due to the evolution of the military conflict in Ukraine and the actions of neighboring Finland, an allied country that also does not belong to NATO, but which, like Sweden, is increasingly determined to enter the Atlantic Alliance.
It should be noted that last week, the Finnish government presented a document with several options to ensure the country’s future security. This week, the parliament of this country started a debate that could be concluded with the presentation of an application to join the Atlantic Alliance at the NATO summit, which takes place in Madrid at the end of June.
According to a Finnish report, the possible entry into NATO could generate tensions in the relationship with Russia, although maintaining the current status quo brings with it risks.
According to a poll carried out in Sweden – released today – the majority of Swedes (51%) are in favor of their country joining NATO. It should be noted that this percentage has been increasing, since, a week ago, the figure was 45%.
However, the willingness to join NATO is more evident in Finland than Sweden, and it also changed more quickly. Just a month ago, Finnish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson considered that joining the Atlantic Alliance would “destabilize” her position even further. In November, the social-democratic general congress, to which the leader belongs, approved the rejection of NATO membership.
It is also worth noting that the Swedish Democrats (SD) – the extreme right, third parliamentary force, who were initially against entry – announced a few days ago that they will also support membership if Finland wants to.
Source: with agencies
