NATO: Finland decides to join
Created: 05/15/2022, 12:30 p.m
By: Nadja Austel, Christian Stör
For decades, a NATO membership for the Finns was considered unthinkable.
But the Ukraine war has led to a rethink.
In a hurry into NATO
: Finland is drawn into NATO in view of the Ukraine conflict.
Russia announces countermeasures:
Finland's possible NATO membership is seen as a threat.
NATO offers Finland the prospect of speedy accession
:
Stoltenberg speaks of “smooth and speedy” accession.
This
news ticker about Finland's expected entry into NATO
is constantly being updated.
Update from Sunday, May 15, 12:25 p.m .:
Now it is official.
Finland wants to become a NATO member.
Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced in Helsinki on Sunday that the country will submit an application to be included in the military alliance.
The Finnish parliament still has to approve the step, a majority is considered safe.
Finland wants to submit an application to join NATO and join the military alliance.
This was announced by President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Sunday.
© Heikki Saukkomaa/afp
Finland's NATO entry is intended to strengthen control over the Baltic Sea - Russia fears a blockade
Update from Friday May 13, 1:57 p.m.:
Finland's upcoming entry into NATO will strengthen the alliance's control over the Baltic Sea - a strategic body of water in northern Europe that borders Russia - and strengthen the bloc's deterrence against Moscow, according to Nato- officials and military commanders.
"It will be a very positive step for the overall security around the Baltics," said Estonian Undersecretary for Defense Policy Tuuli Duneton at the press conference on the sidelines of the Lennart Meri conference, Newsweek reports.
"We think that we could make our military and defense cooperation even better than we have done so far."
Brigadier General Enno Mõts, the chief of staff at the Estonian Defense Forces headquarters, told the press conference that Finnish – and possible Swedish – NATO membership would improve the alliance's operational capability in the Baltic Sea.
"To be honest, the most important thing from our point of view is situational awareness in the maritime sector," said Mõts.
"Obviously in Finland, for example, they also have really strong military capabilities."
NATO presence can thwart Russian control
An expanded NATO presence in the Baltic Sea would thwart Russian efforts to control and operate from the narrow Gulf of Finland, through which Russian ships must navigate to reach the important port of St. Petersburg.
Similarly, the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad would be surrounded by NATO eyes in all directions.
"This is a great opportunity," declared Mõts.
“We will have a common picture of what is going on in the maritime sector.
If we know what is going on, we can react in time.”
Nato membership would open "additional access to the Baltic Sea region".
Membership would provide "additional access to the Baltic Sea region," Colonel Andrus Merilo, the commander of Estonia's 1st Infantry Brigade in Tapa, told Newsweek at a briefing at the Tapa base.
"But I think the most important question is not when and how Finland and Sweden will join NATO, but why these nations decided to join NATO."
“This is clear evidence that Russia is no longer just a threat to the Baltic states…but is also seen as a real threat to Finland and Sweden.
This is a significant change in the security environment.”
Finland's President Niinistö on joining NATO
+++ 9:52 p.m .:
According to the afp news agency, Finland’s President Niinistö commented on the criticism of her planned entry into NATO in the direction of Moscow: “You caused it.
Look in the mirror.” Later he was more forgiving and promoted further cross-border cooperation in “practical matters”.
In neighboring Sweden, the decision on a possible NATO membership is to be announced on Sunday (May 15).
There too, as in Finland, the Ukraine war had led to a fundamental change in public opinion towards the previous military neutrality.
Russia: Finland joining NATO 'clear' threat - 'military-technical' response
+++ 5.40 p.m .:
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) assures Finland “the full support of the federal government” on the way to joining NATO.
In a phone call with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, Scholz welcomed the country's declaration of immediate accession to the western defense alliance, said the spokesman for the federal government, Steffen Hebestreit.
One of the topics discussed in the conversation was the security situation in Europe as a result of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
Finland wants to join NATO: Russia announces countermeasures
+++ 3:00 p.m .:
Russia sees Finland’s possible NATO membership as a threat.
"Another expansion of NATO will not make our continent more stable and secure," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to the Interfax agency.
According to Peskov, Russia will analyze the consequences of Finland joining NATO with a view to its own security.
Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin has already instructed to strengthen the security of Russia's western flank with a view to NATO activities.
"NATO is moving in our direction," said Peskow.
NATO promises Finland to join quickly
+++ 12.30 p.m .:
As the country’s political leadership announced today, Finland wants to apply for NATO membership “immediately” (see initial notification).
Accession to NATO could then take place very quickly.
"The accession process would run smoothly and quickly," said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
Finland is one of NATO's closest partners, a mature democracy, a member of the EU and a key factor when it comes to Euro-Atlantic security.
"They would be warmly welcomed into NATO," said Stoltenberg.
In a hurry to NATO: Finland is drawn to Brussels
First report from Thursday, May 12:
Helsinki - The Ukraine war has changed a lot.
For example, the debate in Finland and Sweden about joining NATO.
It is now a foregone conclusion that the two northern European countries will join the military alliance.
Today Finland took the first step.
President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin have spoken out in favor of their country joining NATO, which shares a border with Russia that is more than 1,300 kilometers long.
In a joint statement on Thursday, the two endorsed membership in the western military alliance.
"Finland must immediately apply for NATO membership," the statement said.
It is now expected that Finland will decide to apply for membership in the coming days.
Ultimately, the decision to join NATO is made jointly by the President and the government.
Denmark has already welcomed the position of Finland's political leadership in favor of rapid NATO accession.
"Denmark will of course warmly welcome Finland to NATO," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen wrote on Twitter.
Finnish accession would strengthen NATO and common security.
Finland on the way to NATO: accession in May?
Niinistö and Marin recently traveled to numerous NATO countries to talk, among other things, about security guarantees in a possible transitional period between the application and admission.
The USA, Germany and other NATO members have expressly stated that they want to support applications from the previous partner states Finland and Sweden, provided that the two Nordic countries decide to do so.
The applications of the two countries will be approved with certainty.
The date is still open.
One possible date is the planned NATO summit in Madrid at the end of June.
But it could also be before that.
"We will not wait for the Madrid summit if it is possible sooner," said a NATO representative.
During the year-long ratification process, the allies would provide an increased troop presence in the region, hold more military drills and maritime patrols in the Baltic Sea, and potentially send US and British forces to Finland and Sweden, it said.
To date, Finland and Sweden have been close partners of NATO.
Accession by the two states would massively change the balance of power in the region.
Russia has therefore announced "serious consequences" if it joins NATO.
(cs/dpa)
