THE Finland to make decision on NATO membership ‘within weeks’ following the Russian attack on Ukraine, announced in In Stockholm, the Finnish Prime Minister Sana Marin.
“I think this will happen soon enough. In a few weeks, not in months “said the Finnish Prime Minister during her visit to her Swedish counterpart Magdalena Anderson, at a time when Sweden also does not rule out its membership in the Atlantic Alliance.
Without revealing her own preference, the Prime Minister of Finland stressed during a joint press conference in Stockholm the advantages of a NATO member over a simple partner, such as Finland today.
“There is no other way to have security guarantees outside the framework of common defense and deterrence as guaranteed by NATO Article 5.”
“The difference between a partner and a member is clear and will remain”warned.
The debate on whether or not to join NATO will begin in the Finnish parliament today, and the government believes that the decision will be made by the beginning of the summer.
A NATO summit is scheduled for June 29th and 30th in Madrid.
Alongside, The Finnish government has submitted to parliament a “white paper” on the strategic situation following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which will serve as a point of reference for the talks.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has profoundly changed the security environment, according to the White Paper, according to which the country’s accession to NATO will mean an increase in its defense spending by 1% to 1.5%.
It would be good if Finland and Sweden made similar security choices in the future, the Finnish prime minister added, warning that her country should be prepared for a Russian response even during the process of assessing whether or not to join the Atlantic Alliance. .
For her part, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Anderson said that the Swedish side should consider what is best for the country’s security. We can not rush to make decisions, he said.
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