(CNN) On Thursday, Finland's president and prime minister reaffirmed their support for NATO membership, bringing the Nordic country closer to joining the US-led military alliance. Finland shares an 800-mile border with Russia.
President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin's statements of support for NATO were expected after the Finnish government recently issued a national security report to parliament that identified NATO membership as one of Finland's choices.
Niinisto and Marin declared in a statement together: "Finland's security would be improved by joining NATO. Finland would strengthen NATO as a whole as a member. Finland needs to join NATO as soon as possible. We hope that the remaining national actions necessary to make this decision are taken quickly in the coming days."
Public support for joining NATO in Finland has risen from roughly 30% to almost 80% in some polls since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.Finland is anticipated to be invited to discuss its membership to NATO once parliament has supported the plan in principle and all other internal legislative impediments have been overcome.
Sweden, Finland's western neighbor, is anticipated to join the alliance by a similar process.
Russia has warned both countries about the implications of joining NATO.Finland has been buying military hardware compatible with its Western allies, notably the United States, for decades and already fits many of the criteria for membership, according to European diplomats and security officials.
For Russia and the Western alliance, Finland joining NATO would have both practical and symbolic ramifications.
Finland has remained militarily non-aligned and ostensibly neutral since the conclusion of World War II in order to avoid offending Russia. It has occasionally accommodated the Kremlin's security concerns while attempting to maintain positive trade relations.
The war in Ukraine, on the other hand, has shifted the calculus so that, regardless of Russia's reaction, joining NATO now appears to be the best option.According to European defense officials who spoke to CNN in recent months, NATO members would provide certain security guarantees to Finland throughout the accession process, in case Russia retaliates before the country formally joins.
Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, unveiled new security pacts with Finland and Sweden on Wednesday, promising to aid either country if it was attacked.
Finland has a long history of high defense spending, and it continues to have a conscription regime, with all adult men subject to military service. Because of how seriously Finland has historically regarded its national security, it is widely understood among NATO officials that joining the alliance would be a big boost in combating Russian aggression.
It also shares an 800-mile border with Russia, which is significant because the Kremlin claimed before invading Ukraine that it wanted NATO to revert to its 1990s borders.
Instead, President Vladimir Putin's gamble could lead to a stronger NATO gaining traction.
[zombify_post]
0 Comments