On Sunday, May 15, Finland took the first step towards joining NATO. The government has started the formal membership application process. A motion to this effect has been submitted to Parliament. On Tuesday, May 17, Sweden’s chief diplomat, Anne Linde, decided to take a similar step.
Security is not a zero-sum game. The government of President Sola Niinisto commented on the proposal of the government of President Sola Niinistö that when Finland maximizes its security, it does not detract from it to anyone.
The Finnish press reported earlier that about 160 out of 200 MEPs support NATO membership. Prime Minister Sanna Marin stressed that if the House of Representatives agreed with the government’s position, the decision to join would “receive strong support.”
In Sweden, the procedure for signing the order was broadcast by SVT public television. In the country there is talk of a “historic moment”.
Biden will host two leaders
The White House announced, Tuesday, that President Biden will host the Prime Minister of Sweden and the President of Finland on Thursday, May 19 to discuss their requests to NATO. This was also shared on Twitter by Kaitlan Collins, CNN’s principal correspondent at the White House.
The announcement of the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO reverberated widely in Russia, and may have increased the pressure of Putin himself. On pro-Kremlin propaganda television, one commentator made threats against NATO countries. He said Russia’s response might be to “deploy tactical nuclear weapons” on the borders of NATO.
Karolina Sopusica, journalist at o2.pl
