The President of Finland Sauli Niinisto today called on his country to remain calm at a time when the debate on whether or not to seek NATO membership is intensifying, while his office announced that tomorrow, Friday, it will meet in Washington with US President Joe Biden.
“In the midst of an acute crisis, it is particularly important that we remain calm and diligently assess the impact of the Ukrainian crisis on our security,” said President Sauli Niinisto in a statement after meeting with lawmakers and defense officials.
The president’s office later said that “during their meeting at the White House, the presidents will discuss Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the consequences of the war on European security, and bilateral co-operation between Finland and the United States.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked a heated debate in Finland over whether the country, which is militarily non-aligned, now has the opportunity to join NATO, as a recent poll found that, for the first time, a majority of Finns are in favor. integration.
Demands for a referendum on NATO membership garnered tens of thousands of signatures at the end of February, meaning the issue will be debated by members of the Finnish parliament.
Finland, which shares a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia, remained neutral during the Cold War in exchange for Moscow’s assurances that Soviet troops would not occupy the country. The Nordic country of 5.5 million people has since joined the European Union and maintains a close alliance with NATO, through which it shares information and resources with the alliance.
“Our security environment today is changing rapidly and spectacularly,” Niinisto said, adding that he fully understood “the concern of the Finns and the need to react to the situation.”
On the issue of NATO membership, experts believe that Finland could act together with its neighbor Sweden.
A possible accession of these two countries would increase tensions between Russia and the West.
Last Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned that the Nordic countries’ accession to NATO would have “serious military and political consequences”, a warning ignored by Helsinki.
Source: AMPE
Source: Capital
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