Finland May Not Wait For Sweden To Join NATO

After Sweden lost its chance to find a compromise with Ankara, Finland changed its opinion on the procedure of its accession to NATO club. On January 24, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto claimed that the country may consider its application for NATO membership without reference to Sweden’s application. Helsinki had previously insisted on applying together with Stockholm.

At the same time, the Finnish Foreign Minister clarified that it was too early to take a position on this issue.

“Finland may have to reconsider its application for simultaneous NATO membership with Sweden if Sweden’s application is postponed for a longer period,” Haavisto said in an interview with Yle. The number one option for the security of Finland and Sweden is still that the countries strive to join NATO simultaneously,” the Foreign Minister said.

NATO member states signed protocols on the accession of Finland and Sweden to the North Atlantic Council on July 5, 2022. Sweden and Finland will join NATO as soon as all NATO member states ratify the protocols. To date, out of 30 NATO member countries, Sweden and Finland’s they have not yet been ratified by Turkey and Hungary.

Turkey blocked the accession process, demanding that the Scandinavian countries declare Kurdish organizations terrorist and extradite persons accused of terrorism, as well as lift bans on arms supplies to Ankara.

Amid the diplomatic protests, Swedish activists took initiative and staged the provocations against Ankara. Anti-Turkish protests broke out in Sweden; while protests against Sweden took place in Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on January 23 that Sweden should not wait for Turkey to support the country’s membership in NATO.

However, as NATO has to demonstrate its unity in resistance to the alleged Russian threat, NATO, Finland and Sweden continue to prove that there is still hope and some positive results in the process.

MORE ON THE TOPIC:

• Erdogan Tells Sweden: Don’t Expect To Join NATO After Quran Burning Incident
• Why Won’t Russia Offer Sweden & Finland A Deal To NOT Join NATO?
• Troubled Way To NATO For Sweden And Finland

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