Finland plans to submit your application in a few weeks, by June. Sweden could do it soon after. The two Nordic countries are considering their entry into NATO, which currently consists of 30 Member States. Meanwhile, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has already assured that the doors are open, and the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Turkey have expressed their support.
A step that until recently would have seemed unthinkable, for the two countries that, officially, are not militarily aligned. On February 24, however, with the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the situation has changed profoundly. If previously 50% of Finns were against and only 20% were in favor, in the latest survey 68% of the population asks for membership to NATO and only 12% remain against it (a recent poll suggests that only six of the country’s 200 MPs oppose it). The Finns are afraid: Putin has attacked the Ukrainian “brothers”, and no one guarantees that he will not be able to do the same with Finland, which shares 1340 kilometers of border with Russia. Sanna Marin, the prime minister of Finland, confessed: “Russia is not the neighbor we thought it was“.
And even to Sweden, which borders Finland, the risk no longer seems so remote. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said: “When Russia invaded Ukraine, Sweden’s security position has changed dramatically“.
Some US officials explained a The Times that NATO membership, for both states, is currently “a topic of conversation and multiple sessions” during talks between foreign ministers of NATO nations.
Obviously, the news of the potential accession of Finland and Sweden has displeased Russia: a Russian Foreign Ministry official warned of “Serious military and political consequences”Moscow has threatened that the accession of the Nordic nations “It would not bring stability” to Europe and Putin has long argued that any NATO expansion to the east would pose a direct threat to Russian sovereignty and security.
Meanwhile, NATO countries have increased the number of troops in countries close to Russia, such as Poland.
Other stories of Vanity Fair that might interest you:
– War in Ukraine
Source: Vanity Fair
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