NATO could grow: Sweden has announced that it will submit an application for membership. Finland is also debating – despite all Putin’s threats.
- NATO enlargement I: Sweden wants to officially apply for membership.
- NATO enlargement II: Finland is also debating membership. The background is the escalated Ukraine conflict.
- This News ticker on Sweden’s and Finland’s plans to join NATO is continuously updated.
Update from May 17, 6:45 a.m.: The Finnish parliament continues to debate whether to join NATO. It is unclear whether a decision will be made. In addition, Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö is traveling to Sweden at the invitation of King Carl XVI. Gustaf on a two-day state visit to Stockholm. Against the background of the decisions of both countries to apply for NATO membership, the meeting will deal, among other things, with the common defense policy.
Update from May 16, 9:17 p.m: Finland and Sweden are on the way to joining NATO – Austria is still not. The Austrian foreign minister confirmed this on the sidelines of an EU foreign ministers’ meeting and provided a reason. “We have a completely different geographical situation,” said Alexander Schallenberg. “We also have a completely different story and I think you just have to take that into account.”
Sweden and Finland’s plans to join NATO: Turkish President Erdogan still not convinced
Update from May 16, 8:09 p.m: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is still unconvinced by Sweden’s and Norway’s plans to join NATO. Referring to the visit of a Finnish-Swedish delegation to Turkey, he said: “Will they come to convince us? If so, no offense, they shouldn’t bother”
Erdogan said in Ankara on Monday that one could not agree to the accession of countries that imposed sanctions on Turkey. He again accused both countries of supporting “terrorist organizations” such as the banned Kurdish Workers’ Party PKK. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had already criticized at the weekend that there were export restrictions on armaments because of Turkey’s fight against these groups and called for them to be lifted.
Finland and Sweden join NATO: Belarus demands a stronger counterweight to NATO
Update from May 16, 4:45 p.m.: According to Sweden’s official plans to join NATO, Belarus is demanding a stronger counterweight to NATO. The Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) must “massively consolidate its status in the international system of control and separation of powers,” said ruler Alexander Lukashenko on Monday, according to the Belarusian news agency Belta. Russia cannot fight NATO enlargement alone, he added.
And Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin? At the meeting, he said that the potential expansion of NATO to include Sweden and Finland was “not a direct threat” to Russia. However, the “extension of NATO’s military infrastructure” to the two countries will “undoubtedly result in a reaction” from Russia.
CSTO members
Russia and the former Soviet republics of Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
Ukraine-Russia war: Sweden officially wants to join NATO, Finland probably too – despite all threats from Putin
First report from May 16, 3:00 p.m.: Stockholm – Sweden wants to become a NATO member. Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Monday in Stockholm that the country would apply to be included in the defense alliance. Previously, almost all parties in Parliament had expressed their support for an application for membership. In Finland, too, there is a debate about joining NATO. A parliamentary debate is considered safe.
NATO: Russia ‘doesn’t just want to accept’ Sweden and Finland’s accession
Russia and President Vladimir Putin had previously threatened the Scandinavian countries several times. According to the Kremlin, Russia is “very cautious” about Finland’s and Sweden’s plans to join NATO. Russia will “not simply accept” the accession of Sweden and Finland, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.
“This is another serious mistake with far-reaching consequences,” Ryabkov said, according to Russian news agencies. Russia’s reaction will depend “on the practical consequences of the accession” of the two countries to NATO. “It is clear to us that the security of Sweden and Finland will not be strengthened by this decision,” emphasized the Deputy Foreign Minister, according to the TASS state agency. Speaking to the two Scandinavian countries, he added: “You shouldn’t have any illusions that we’ll just put up with it.”
NATO: Finland and Sweden soon to be NATO members? Look at Turkey
Sweden and Finland are not yet members of NATO. The two countries are considered neutral and have so far not really been interested in joining. The Ukraine war changed that. Finland in particular is concerned about the shared border with Russia. The Finnish government announced on Sunday that it intends to apply for NATO membership. However, it has not yet been officially submitted.
The admission process starts when Finland and Sweden have submitted their applications to NATO headquarters in Brussels. All 30 states must agree to join. This is particularly interesting with regard to Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan caused unrest within NATO with concerns about joining. He cited Sweden and Finland’s alleged support for Kurdish extremists as the reason. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg assured that Turkey did not want to “block” the accession of the two Nordic countries. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also turned to Erdogan. (as)
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