Finland and Sweden are poised to apply for Nato membership as early as Tuesday in a historic response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
At a heated meeting on Sunday, Sweden’s ruling Social Democrats backed the move, clearing the last hurdle to membership, on condition that no alliance nuclear weapons will be stored on its territory. Already secured by Nato members Norway and Denmark, Finland said it would not seek this pre-condition.
Finnish and Swedish MPs are likely to give their overwhelming endorsement to the move on Monday, ending long traditions of military neutrality and non-alignment in a bid to preserve security co-operation in the Baltic region
“This is a historic day, a new era begins,” said Finnish president Sauli Niinisto of the move, ahead of a two-day state visit to Stockholm on Tuesday and a likely joint application ceremony.
Sweden’s prime minister Magdalena Andersson acknowledged that two centuries of non-alignment and military neutrality no longer served her country well in the “new and more dangerous reality since February 24th”.
“We don’t take this decision easily but, when reality changes, we need to change our decisions,” she said. “Sweden has a lot of friends and we have everything to gain if we stick together.”
Russian attacks
Two months after she warned that Nato membership would destabilise the region, Ms Andersson said it was unacceptable that the Kremlin was “prepared to use violence to achieve their political objectives”.
She acknowledged that retaliatory attacks from Russia were now a reality, “cyberattacks, hybrid and other measures” but that “it is all up to them”.
Attention has already shifted to the accession process, requiring backing of Nato’s existing 30 members.
On Friday, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticised the Nordic countries’ alliance applications given their stance on groups Ankara deems terrorist organisations. Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg insisted on Sunday that “Turkey’s intention is not to block membership.”
Swedish foreign minister Ann Linde said that “all Nato members with one exception are positive to our joining”, adding, “There may even be a competition to be the fastest to ratify us.”
History of conflict
Earlier, Finland’s prime minister, Sanna Marin, said her country’s history of conflict with Russia had been foremost in her mind in recent weeks.
“We have had wars with Russia, and we don’t want that kind of future for ourselves, for our children,” she said. “This is why we’re making these decisions today and in the upcoming weeks, so there will never again be a war.”
After decades as wary, non-aligned observers, public support for Nato membership in Finland and Sweden has exploded since February.
In Finland, support has jumped from 53 per cent in February to 62 per cent in March and 76 per cent in May. The poll for YLE public television said a Swedish application for Nato membership would raise backing in Finland to 83 per cent.
In Sweden, support for Nato membership has jumped from 40 per cent in January to 61 per cent now.
