Finland poised to become NATO’s newest member
Finland’s parliament is set to vote on joining NATO on Thursday, which marks the endpoint of decades of inching toward the West and away from a nonaligned stance. The application for NATO membership was prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February, which led to Finland and neighboring Sweden abandoning their military non-alignment and applying for NATO membership. Delays in Finland’s membership bid were due to concerns from Hungary and Turkey. However, Hungary has approved Finland’s bid to join NATO.
Turkey’s parliament to vote on Finland’s bid to join NATO
Turkey’s parliament is preparing to vote on Helsinki’s NATO membership request, which will remove the last major obstacle to Finland’s accession. Representatives from Turkey, Sweden, and Finland have met several times to resolve outstanding issues. Turkey has yet to indicate support for Sweden’s bid, as it is concerned about both countries’ leniency toward groups it considers terror organizations. However, Sweden has carried out reforms to address Turkey’s concerns.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to Finland and Sweden breaking with decades of nonalignment
Finland shares an 800-mile border with Russia and has maintained careful balance in relations with Moscow and the West. Its security policy over the last three decades has kept a wary eye on Russia and held the NATO option in reserve. Finnish leadership saw no reason to join NATO before Russia invaded Ukraine last February. All three of Finland’s biggest political parties now support NATO membership.
Accession of Finland and Sweden would see NATO dominate the Baltic Sea
If Finland joins NATO, it would roughly double NATO’s frontier facing Moscow. Accession of both countries would see the alliance dominate the Baltic Sea. Joining NATO means Finland will need to adjust its view of itself and its role in Europe, moving from a go-it-alone mentality to integrating into an alliance with dozens of other countries.
Turkey demands extradition before ratifying membership
Turkey has demanded Sweden to extradite members of what Ankara considers terrorist groups before ratifying its membership. However, NATO officials hope Turkey will soften its stance on Sweden after the upcoming Turkish elections in May.
Latest news on Ukraine
Spain has announced that it will send six Leopard tanks to Ukraine in April as part of a broader aid package for the country. In other news, Ukrainian Foreign Minister criticizes Russia’s upcoming presidency of the U.N. Security Council, saying that it is “morally and politically wrong” for Moscow to hold the post given its actions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. Additionally, Russia’s Federal Security Service arrests Wall Street Journal reporter on espionage charges.
Final Thoughts:
Finland’s bid to join NATO has been a long and complex process due to concerns from countries such as Hungary and Turkey. However, with Hungary approving Finland’s bid and Turkey set to vote on it soon, it appears that Finland is poised to become NATO’s newest member. Joining NATO would mark a significant shift for Finland, which has maintained careful balance in relations with both Russia and the West over the last few decades. Nevertheless, Finnish leadership sees NATO membership as a necessary step towards ensuring their country’s security in an increasingly uncertain global environment.
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