11 minutes agoChief NATO: Finland, Sweden Can Join Soon
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)Secretary - General NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, said Thursday that Finland and Sweden will be embraced with open arms if they decide to join the 30-nation military organisation. Stoltenberg's statement came after public support in Finland and Sweden for NATO membership increases in response to Russia's war in Ukraine. Speculation [...]
Stoltenberg's statement came after public support in Finland and Sweden for NATO membership increases in response to Russia's war in Ukraine.
Media speculations in both countries suggest the two states can apply in mid-May.
“It is their decision,” said Stoltenberg. “But if they decide to apply, Finland and Sweden will be warmly welcomed and I expect the process to go fast. ”
He did not give any exact timetable, but said the two states could expect a protection if Russia tries to intimidate them from the moment their membership applications are made until they are officially joined.
Stoltenberg said he is “sure there are ways to overcome that temporary period in a way that is good enough and works both for Finland and Sweden”.
NATO's collective security guarantee that all member states must come to the aid of any attacked ally.
Stoltenberg added that many NATO allies have now pledged and provided a total of at least $8 billion military support for Ukraine.
Before the start of the war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded that NATO stop enlargement and withdraw its troops from Russia's borders. So Finland and neighboring Sweden's prospect of joining the transatlantic alliance is unlikely to be welcomed in Moscow.
Finland has a history of conflicts with Russia, with which it shares a 340km border. The Finnishs have participated in dozens of wars against their eastern neighbor, for centuries as part of the Swedish Kingdom, and as an independent nation.
In the post-war period, however, Finland pursued pragmatic political and economic ties with Moscow, remaining militarily unannounced and a neutral buffer between East and West.
Sweden has avoided military alliances for more than 200 years, choosing a course of peace after centuries of war with its neighbors.
The two countries ended traditional neutrality by joining the European Union in 1995 and deepening co-operation with NATO. However, the majority of people in both countries remain staunchly opposed to full membership in the alliance so far. / REL
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