Finland: Russia, with what it does in Ukraine, will further open the debate on our entry into NATO

Russia’s actions in Ukraine threaten to intensify debate over Finland’s possible membership in NATO Russia’s nuclear plant in northwestern Finland, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto told reporters today.

Asked at a news conference, the president said he did not know if the Ukraine crisis had brought Helsinki closer to joining the Atlantic Alliance, but noted that it had revived the debate in the Nordic country.

“We have an active dialogue on joining NATO and it will definitely become more active if Russia gives us reasons. I can not say if we are closer” to a membership. “The debate is ongoing,” he said.

Helsinki was quick to condemn Moscow’s recognition of the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine on Monday night.

Finland “strongly supports Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,” Niinisto said.

He declined to comment on the possible outcome of the assessment regarding the construction of the joint project, adding that the Finnish government would make the final decision on whether to grant a construction permit.

The plant is a joint venture between a consortium of Finnish utilities and a 34% subsidiary of Russian state-owned Rosatom.

Finland has been preparing the project for ten years, eight of which are with Russia.

According to Niinisto, the EU will decide today on the first round of sanctions in response to President Putin’s move to recognize two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.

Source: AMPE

Source: Capital

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