It is “highly likely” that Finland will apply for membership in NATO, the Finnish minister for European affairs said.
Speaking to CNN on Monday, Titti Tuppurainen said the decision had not yet been made, but called the country’s potential membership “a very natural response” to Russia’s war in Ukraine. He added that if his country does indeed implement, he hopes “the ratification process will be as brief as possible.”
“Certainly, we would love to have a neighborhood that would have been founded on friendship and cooperation,” she said. “But it is Russia that has distanced itself from the security system and it is Russia that has started the war in Europe. It is Russia that has invaded Ukraine. Now, people see this new reality and it’s time to join NATO.”
On Thursday, Finnish President Saulie Niinisto is expected to give his personal opinion on how to pursue NATO membership, which is expected to be followed by a statement from Prime Minister Sanna Marin.
Upcoming verdict: Tuppurnain told CNN that most political parties in the country have already discussed the issue. The Social Democrats – the party of Marin and Tuppurnain – will gather on Saturday to make their decision, guided by Marin’s announcement.
“Now that the country’s leaders are about to make a decision about the NATO application, we can say with good reasoning that the whole country is ready for it,” said Tuppurainen, adding to the strong public support in Finland for joining the defensive alliance. looking at .
Message to Moscow: Russia has warned that it will respond if Finland – with which it shares a border of more than 800 miles – joins NATO.
The Kremlin doesn’t dictate our decisions,” Tupurainen told CNN, adding that it “would be in Russia’s best interest to behave like an adult in this situation.”
“We have now seen what kind of country Russia is and what kind of regime it has. It has a rootless dictator as a leader,” she said. “We are no longer under any illusions as to what he is doing. … and now we know that he can wage a war that is as abominable and cruel and cruel as one can imagine.”
Finland has been a long-time partner of NATO, something that US and NATO officials have pointed to support for the nation’s membership if it wishes to apply.
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