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NATO

Finland to join Nato without Sweden if Turkey gives go ahead

Finland's president has said that his country will have to join Nato before Sweden if Turkey opts to only ratify Finnish membership of the security alliance.

Published: 17 February 2023 14:14 CET
Finland to join Nato without Sweden if Turkey gives go ahead
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto speaks at a Summit of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) in Riga, Latvia, in December 2022. Photo: AP/Roman Koksarov

According to a report in Finland’s Iltalehti tabloid, Sauli Niinistö told Finnish journalists that if Turkey and Hungary ratify Finland’s membership of Nato before that of Sweden, then Finland will automatically become a member. 

“We do not want to and cannot withdraw our application,” Niinistö said at a security conference in Munich, arguing that Finland can not stop the process once it is approved by all Nato members states. 

While Turkey, he said, understands that Finland wants to become a member together with Sweden, “Turkey’s attitude towards our wishes are only and exclusively in Turkey’s hands”. 

The foreign policy committee in Finland’s parliament on Friday voted in favour of the country joining Nato, saying that Finland should join as soon as possible, preferably together with Sweden. 

According to Finland’s national broadcaster Yle, the parliament as a whole will begin to debate the bill on Finland’s Nato membership next week, with a vote on the new law expected on February 28th. 

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SWEDEN AND GERMANY

What’s on the agenda for German chancellor’s visit to Sweden?

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in Sweden to discuss security and business competitiveness with his Nordic colleagues on a two-day visit.

Published: 13 May 2024 14:25 CEST
What's on the agenda for German chancellor's visit to Sweden?

Scholz was to visit the Stockholm headquarters of telecommunications giant Ericsson on Monday, accompanied by the prime ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

They were to “discuss security policy issues such as hybrid threats, civil preparedness and new technologies,” the Swedish government said in a statement.

A press conference was to follow just before 6pm.

“At a dinner that evening, discussions will centre on continued support to Ukraine,” the government said, as Russian troops launched a major ground operation against Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region amid Kyiv’s struggles with Western aid delays.

The Nordic countries and Germany have been among Ukraine’s biggest donors since Russia’s February 2022 invasion.

Berlin is the world’s second biggest donor to Ukraine, giving 14.5 billion euros so far, according to the Kiel Institute.

“Security policy and the upcoming Nato summit will top the agenda,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote in a piece published in financial daily Dagens Industri on Monday.

“Financial competitiveness issues” will also be discussed, he said, noting that “the Nordic region wants to play a key role in efforts to strengthen the European economy”.

On Tuesday, Kristersson and Scholz were scheduled to hold bilateral talks and visit the Norrsken Foundation, which supports young growth companies active in the green and digital transition.

Afterwards the two leaders were to sign a “strategic innovation partnership” between Germany and Sweden.

The visit was to be their first bilateral meeting since Sweden joined Nato in March 2024.

The next Nato summit will take place July 9th-11th in Washington.

“Sweden has, and must have, a clear international voice in the world,” Kristersson wrote in Dagens Industri.

The Scandinavian country has enjoyed decades of strong cooperation with Nordic and Baltic countries, and with intensified collaboration “with two other Baltic Sea countries, Poland and Germany, our region will be safer and stronger”, he said.

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