Finland says it is ready to join Nato, even without Sweden

FINLAND is set to join Nato if it gets the last outstanding ratifications for its membership bid, regardless of the progress Sweden has made towards joining the alliance, President Sauli Niinisto said on Wednesday (Feb 22).

Finland’s parliament has moved ahead with a domestic process to ratify the Nordic country’s accession to Nato, raising questions about whether the two countries could be admitted into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization at different times.

While they both applied at the same time, Sweden’s entry continues to be obstructed by Turkey, which has indicated that it no longer has a problem with Finland’s membership.

“Our parliament will make its decision, and if Turkey and Hungary ratify, we will become members of Nato,” Niinisto said at a joint press conference with Sweden’s and Norway’s prime ministers. Finnish lawmakers are set to vote on the matter on Feb 28.

The comment is the latest signal that Finland is prepared to step into the alliance without Sweden, its neighbour and close ally, and whose membership has been held up by Turkish resistance. Niinisto insisted that his statement should not be seen as Finland leaving its neighbour behind.

He said: “To the extent it is up to us, we will go hand in hand, but Turkey has the ratification in its own hands, and we can’t do anything about that. If Turkey and Hungary ratify, and our parliament accepts the legislation, we will become members.”

He also said the Nordic countries’ talks with Turkey will resume in a few weeks, and added that he was “optimistic” that both Finland and Sweden will be members by mid-July, when Nato has its summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. 

The next attempt to break the deadlock is planned to take place at Nato’s headquarters in Brussels.

Lawmakers in Hungary will start debating the alliance’s enlargement on Mar 1, with a vote scheduled for the week after. While the eastern European country has made no demands in exchange for the ratification, its timelines have shifted several times.

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Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson continued to press the case for a simultaneous entry, saying it would be beneficial for defences.

“It’s well known that we have a very close military relationship outside Nato, and that was one of the reasons why we embarked on this journey together,” he told reporters. “Things could get complicated if one of the countries remains outside while the other joins – that is just a statement of fact.” BLOOMBERG