Source: The Paper
Finnish President Sauli Niinistö (right) and Prime Minister Sanna Marin (left). vision China data map
On May 12, local time, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin issued a joint statement stating that Finland must "immediately" apply to join NATO , which marks It marked a historic shift in the country's security policy and triggered warnings of retaliation from Russia.
According to a report by the British " Guardian " on the 12th, after the Finnish leaders issued a joint statement, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Peskov said that Russia would "definitely" regard Finland's membership of NATO as a threat.
"We have repeatedly pointed out that the expansion of NATO and its alliance's moves closer to our borders will not make the European continent and the world more stable and secure." Peskov emphasized, "Everything will depend on how this process is carried out. , depending on how far the military infrastructure has moved to our border.”
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement saying that if Finland applies to join NATO, Russia will have to take “military technical” measures and will “be forced to adopt corresponding means.” ... to address the resulting national security threats," it accused NATO of trying to create "another military threat flank against Russia" and noted that Finland should "be aware of its responsibilities and the consequences of such a move."
Former Russian President Medvedev said on the same day that Western countries' "proxy war" against Russia will "increase the possibility of direct and open conflict between NATO and Russia." He urged Western countries not to "deceive themselves" and said that such a conflict "always risks turning into an all-out nuclear war" which would be "a disaster for everyone."
Finland and Sweden are trying to break the "non-alignment"
On the morning of May 12, local time, Niinistö and Marin issued a joint statement, officially announcing their support for Finland's application to join NATO. As a member of NATO, "Finland will strengthen the entire defense alliance. As a matter of urgency, Finland must apply to join NATO," the two said. Finland's president, prime minister and senior cabinet ministers will meet on the 15th to make a formal decision on the application to join NATO, which will be submitted to parliament for approval early next week.
Marin and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said at a joint press conference in April that Russia's military action against Ukraine had changed the entire security landscape in Europe and "dramatically Changed the way of thinking in the Nordic countries”. The latest poll by Finnish public broadcaster Yle shows that compared with the previous approval rate of 25%, Finnish public support for joining NATO has tripled after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with 76% of Finnish people in favor. 12% expressed opposition.
According to reports, the Social Democratic Party in power in Sweden will also decide on May 15 whether to overturn its long-term opposition to joining NATO. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said Niinistö and Marin's statements were "an important message", adding that Finland was "Sweden's closest security and defense partner" and its assessment (of the situation) "must be taken into account”.
Although Finland and Sweden's official position is non-aligned, the two countries abandoned their strict neutrality when they joined the European Union in 1995 after the end of the Cold War and became NATO partners - participating in exercises and exchanging intelligence. . Russia has repeatedly warned Finland and Sweden not to join NATO, saying the "serious military and political consequences" of such a move would force Russia to "restore the military balance" by strengthening its defenses in the Baltic Sea region, including by deploying nuclear weapons.
NATO: welcome
The Guardian reported that NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance would "warmly welcome" Finland's membership and promised that its joining process would be "smooth and rapid" ”, although ratification by all 30 member states could take months.He stressed that Finland is one of NATO's "closest partners, a mature democracy, a member of the European Union and an important contributor to Euro-Atlantic security", adding that Finland's accession would prove the alliance's "open door" is open".
U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO Julian Smith said that NATO hopes that these countries will make their own decisions on whether to join the alliance in the coming "months and weeks." She added that the United States would welcome these countries into the alliance.
Governments of various countries have also expressed their stance on this. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Finland's membership would "strengthen NATO and our common security" and Copenhagen would make every effort to speed up the application process. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Twitter that he had assured Niinisto of "the full support of the federal government" by phone. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Finland's decision was "good news for Poland and European security." In addition, the prime ministers of Estonia and the Czech Republic also expressed support.
The Guardian reported that Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto previously told the European Parliament that joining NATO would strengthen security in the region, and said that Norway, Denmark and the Baltic States are already members of NATO, and Finland The addition will "bring added value".
