Swedish soldiers during a recent military exercise. Credit: Swedish Armed ForcesSweden and Finland are a step closer on Wednesday to formally applying for NATO membership and abandoning neutrality, despite warnings from Russia that the move would destabilize Europe.
Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson have been are meeting in Stockholm to discuss regional security matters in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
At a joint press conference after, Marin said she could not give a timetable for a decision on whether Finland would join NATO but nonetheless said the decision was weeks, not months away. Andersson said Sweden would not rush a decision, but the country’s assessment of the security situation would be thorough but expedient.
Finland’s parliament will hear from a range of security experts in the weeks ahead as the country moves towards a decision “before midsummer,” Marin has said.
All 30 members of NATO must approve Finland and Sweden joining
All 30 members of NATO would need to ratify the country’s membership which could take anywhere from a few months to a year. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said the door for membership remains open.
