Finland, Sweden to decide whether to join NATO amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Finland, Sweden to decide whether to join NATO amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
April 13, 2022, 3:05 pm

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Washington, United States (File photo: Nato Facebook page)

The Global News reported, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Wednesday (Apr 13), Finland will make a decision about whether to apply to join the 30-member NATO alliance in the next few weeks.

Until now, Finland and fellow Nordic state and neighbor Sweden have shied away from joining NATO, the U.S.-led alliance founded in 1949 to counter the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced an urgent rethink.

Marin told reporters in a joint news conference in Stockholm with her Swedish counterpart: “There are different perspectives to apply (for) NATO membership or not to apply and we have to analyze these very carefully."

“But I think our process will be quite fast, it will happen in weeks,” said Marin, whose country shares a long border with Russia to the east.

Finland’s government will publish an update of its foreign and security policy in a white paper later on Wednesday (Apr 13).

Sweden is also reviewing its security policy with conclusions expected toward the end of May.

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Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said it was important to carry out a thorough analysis of whether Sweden should also apply to join NATO.

She said: “There are of course pros and cons with being a member of NATO as there are pros and cons of other security choices."

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“Being a member of NATO, you do have the security with Article 5…,” she said, referring to the alliance commitment to regard an attack on one member as a attack on all. “You also have another responsibility towards other countries.”

Source: globalnews

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