Sweden and Finland towards NATO membership: the stages

Among the reasons that are believed to have been at the basis of the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there would also be the Kremlin’s intention to avert the enlargement of the NATO border to its borders. But the situation has evolved in recent months, with the tradition of neutrality of Sweden and Finland suddenly become obsolete and, indeed, with the two countries ever closer to joining the Alliance

WATCH THE VIDEO: Finland, Foreign Ministry: “Membership of added value for NATO”

Stockholm, at first, he had ruled out the possibility of joining the Atlantic Alliance. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, on the day of the invasion, reiterated the opportunity to preserve the “stability” of the “historic Swedish security policy”

Finland, government requests entry into NATO. Russia: “A threat”

The Finnish Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, on the other hand, he had immediately opened up for his nation to join NATO. And he had then broken a first taboo a few days later by sending weapons and ammunition to Kiev. On February 27, Andersson also announced the “exceptional” decision to ship 5,000 anti-tank rocket launchers to Ukraine, the first supply of weapons to a foreign country since 1939.

Medvedev: “Risks of Russia-NATO confrontation and nuclear war”

Over two months later, both Nordic countries are one step away from accession: on 12 May the Finnish president and premier have announced in a statement that he wanted it “without delay.” The final decision will be announced Sunday. Immediate response from Born: the accession “will go smoothly” and quickly. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that the Use they support every request from Finland and Sweden for membership: “NATO is a defensive alliance, not an offensive one. There is no aggressive intent in any expansion.”

Just the question of timing it now becomes crucial, in order not to leave the countries exposed to Russian reprisals. And Flyafter the announcement of Finland, has already made it known that it is “A threat to Russia”

By “persuading Finland” to join the Alliance, NATO “aims to create a new front of the military threat to Russia“, said the Moscow Foreign Ministry, quoted by TASS.” Helsinki should realize its responsibilities and consequences of a possible entry into NATO “, he added

Fly moreover, already in recent months, he had made it known that the accession of the two nations to NATO would have “serious military consequences and policies that would require our country to adopt reciprocal measures. “And the vice-president of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, last April 14 warned that, in the event of Stockholm and Helsinki joining the Atlantic Alliance, nuclear warheads would have been deployed Russians in the Baltic Sea

Retaliation could also be economic. According to reports from the Finnish newspaper Iltalehtithe country’s top political leaders have been informed that Russia may cut off gas supplies following this approach to NATO. Up to now, there has been talk of a possible outage on May 23, the date on which the next payment by Helsinki is expected.

Meanwhile the Swedish government moves on the same Finnish line and has called an extraordinary meeting for Monday next to make a formal decision on the application for membership

Stockholm “will take into account the evaluations of Finland”, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said, according to CNN. “Sweden will decide (whether to join NATO, ed) after the presentation of the report of the consultations on security policy”, she added.