Causes.com
| 5.13.22
Finland’s Leaders Announce Support for Joining NATO Alliance
Are you in favor of Finland joining NATO?
What’s the story?
- Finland’s government announced Thursday that the country is going to undertake the steps necessary to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the coming days, with an announcement of its plan to join expected to follow on Sunday. That will start a formal process that will likely conclude this summer with its membership in the NATO alliance.
- Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced the move in a joint statement on Thursday:
“Now that the moment of decision-making is near, we state our equal views, also for information to the parliamentary groups and parties. NATO membership would strengthen Finland’s security. As a member of NATO, Finland would strengthen the entire defence alliance. Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay. We hope that the national steps still needed to make this decision will be taken rapidly within the next few days.”
- Finland’s decision to end its longstanding policy of non-alignment between NATO and Russia (or the Warsaw Pact during the Soviet era) comes amid Vladimir Putin’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine. The non-alignment policy arose during the Cold War due to Finland’s 810-mile border with Russia and to prevent a reprise of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Finland during World War II in the Winter War and the Continuation War. In those conflicts, Finnish forces inflicted heavy losses on the Red Army before an armistice that involved Finland ceding land in the Petsamo region near the Barents Sea and the Karelia region between Helsinki and St. Petersburg (then known as Leningrad) to the Soviet Union.
- The Finnish government has joined many NATO members in providing military aid to Ukraine, and public support for NATO membership has soared following Russia’s invasion. Public support for NATO membership in Finland began to rise after Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine and invaded the Donbas in 2014, but remained less than a majority at the time according to polls. Since Russia’s renewed invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, support for NATO membership has grown to outright majorities in Finland that trend to supermajorities if it joins the alliance simultaneously with Sweden.
- Russia has made repeated threats against Finland and Sweden as those countries have moved toward NATO membership, with officials saying the Nordic duo may become military targets for Russia. On Friday, Russia announced it will cut off its electricity supplies to Finland, which receives about 10% of its electricity from Russia. Finnish transmission system operator Fingrid said that electricity shortages aren’t expected, as Finland will compensate by importing more electricity from Sweden. The country is also expected to open a new nuclear power station this summer and warmer temperatures in the spring and summer will bring more wind power generation online.
- Finland has been in extensive consultations with its neighbor Sweden throughout this process, and Sweden is expected to announce its own decision to pursue NATO membership in the coming days or weeks. The U.S. and Britain have reportedly provided security assurances to Finland and Sweden while the NATO admittance process plays out. Once they formally join NATO, they will be covered by the alliance’s mutual defense guarantee under Article V.
What would Finland bring to the NATO alliance?
- Finland already spends over 2% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on its defense budget, which meets the NATO benchmark, and announced a $2.2 billion boost in defense spending above its base budget of over $6 billion following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- Despite its formal non-alignment, the Finnish armed forces have a long history of holding joint exercises and training with NATO militaries that have enhanced their interoperability.
- Finland utilizes a significant amount of equipment from the defense industrial base of NATO members which has further deepened that interoperability. For example, Finland flies American-made F/A-18 Super Hornets and will eventually replace those with F-35 Lightning II fighters that many NATO militaries field. It has also acquired missiles from the U.S., plus tanks and artillery from the Netherlands.
- The Finnish military is highly competent and unlike most European countries, continues to implement a conscription policy in which military-age males serve terms of 165, 255, or 347 days before their 29th birthday. That allows Finland to rapidly expand its active personnel from about 21,500 to 280,000 in wartime with a reserve of more than 900,000 troops.
- Finland also has the most extensive artillery capability in all of western Europe, with 700 howitzers, 700 heavy mortars, and 100 multiple rocket launchers, and has a capable navy that cooperates with Sweden in securing sea lanes in the Baltic.
- The proximity of Finland and Sweden to the three Baltic states ― Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania ― means that their geography would make them an integral part of NATO’s defensive plans in the Baltic Sea region. The Swedish island of Gotland, strategically located halfway between the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad and the city of St. Petersburg, is considered a possible Russian invasion target if Putin attempts military action in the Baltic.
- The strategic impact of Finland and Sweden joining NATO would also be seen further north as they are two of the eight Arctic countries and five of the others are members of NATO (the only non-NATO Arctic country is Russia).
How do countries join NATO?
- NATO has gone through eight rounds of enlargement since its formation from 12 founding member states in 1949 to its current 30 members. Applicant countries must adhere to the principles of “democracy, individual liberty, and the rule of law”, in addition to being able to contribute to the security of the alliance. At this time, only European countries may apply to join.
- NATO members must unanimously agree to invite any new country into the alliance. Once invited, applicant countries receive a membership action plan with steps to take to join the alliance. Then an accession protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty must be signed unanimously by NATO members to allow the country to join the alliance.
- The accession process may require ratification by a member country’s legislative body, as is the case in the U.S. where a two-thirds majority vote is required in the Senate to ratify the change to the treaty. Once all NATO countries have completed their ratification processes, the applicant country can formally join.
RELATED READING
- Finland & Sweden Move Towards NATO Membership Despite Russia’s Threats (4/13/22)
- NATO Activates Response Force for First Time, U.S. & Allies Increase Defense Aid to Ukraine Amid Russia’s Invasion (2/28/22)
- NATO Increases Readiness of Multinational Response Force - What Is It? (1/28/22)
- Arctic Plays Increasingly Significant Role in National Security Amid Climate Change (11/24/21)
- NATO Turns 70: Truman Completed the Ratification of the North Atlantic Treaty On This Date (7/25/19)
— Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. William A. Tanner, 7th Army Training Command via Flickr / Creative Commons)
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Yes, it shows that more and more of Europe is getting their resolve to not be intimidated by the putin. Hopefully more and more of Russia's inner circle will realize that the putin's delusions of grandeur is putting Russia on the path to world irrelevance as it transitions from being a wotld power into a 3rd world status. Removing the putin, ceding their war to Ukraine and paying reperations to Ukraine is becoming the only way prevent Russia from devolve into another ineffective smal pest nuclear country like Notrh Korea.
Finland previously fought 2 wars with Russia between 1939 and 1944, repelling an attempted invasion but lost 10% of its territory in the subsequent peace agreement so watching Ukraine being invaded by Russia has changed public opinion from 50% to 80%+ and parliament has approved.
Robert Dalsjo, senior NATO analyst at the Swedish Defense Research agency cites the following advantages
1) NATO's uncertainty over how Sweden and Finland would act in a crisis, would no longer exist , eg use of air space, troops, supplies
2) increase security and deterrence in the Baltic Sea region
3) Political feather in the cap
4) UK, Germany & other western countries already signed agreements to protect
Harry Nedelcu, NATO expert and director of policy at Rasmussen Global cites
1) political, target toward Russia
2) stronger NATO naval presence in the Baltic sea,
Finland's former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb
1) capable of making quick decisions
facing an aggressive revisionist, imperialist, totalitarian, authoritarian Russia, they are coming to the conclusion that NATO membership is the way to go”
2) Helsinki was preparing for Russian “consequences” should they make the NATO move.
3) Russia caused this by invading Ukraine
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg
1) membership process would "go quickly.
2) Highly capable forces already inter operate with NATO through years of partnership & training exercises
3) Contributed to NATO led forces in Afghanistan, Balkans, Iraq
4) Enhances NATO capability to defend Baltic states
5) Memorandum of understanding exists for Host Nation Support which allows for logical support (locate on or transition through)
6) Defense budget 2% of GDP which has been invested in air, artillery, intelligence (collect & analyze) missile, Navy & cyber, with more tanks than Germany, and can mobilize 280K troops
Russian threats
1) Medvedev warned that Moscow would fortify (military & technical) its presence in the Baltic region if Finland and Sweden joined NATO which is highly unlikely as Ukraine invasion show they don’t have the resources
2) conducting cyber attacks
3) advertising campaigns alleging that various famous people were Nazis.
4) Threatened to cut off gas but only 5% of Finlands energy comes from Russia
5) Violates air space regularly
6) Response dependent on NATO infrastructure placed in Finland
Turkey
1) doesn’t have positive views due to Kurdish refugees (Turkey considers them terrorists) but hasn’t threatened blocking
2) Finland calls for patience suggesting a deal in the making
https://m.dw.com/en/scholz-finland-sweden-can-count-on-german-support-if-they-seek-nato-access/a-61667618
https://www.dw.com/en/nato-new-challenges-for-the-alliance-as-finland-and-sweden-inch-closer-to-membership/a-61763272
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220512-finland-s-leaders-back-nato-membership-in-major-policy-shift-triggered-by-ukraine-war
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-finland-nato-sweden-turkey-b2078248.html
https://www.justsecurity.org/81481/an-offer-nato-cannot-and-should-not-refuse-finlands-membership/
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2022/05/13/turkeys-leader-opposes-letting-finland-sweden-join-nato/
WOW how stupid is that decision in the mist of the war in Ukraine. Especially Finland that has a 700 mile border with Russia.
if we really think that Comrade Putin is so bad and maybe not playing with a full deck he may decide to use nuclear weapons on western Ukraine and Finland and Sweden since they are going to be lost anyway.
I'm in favor of closing the US border,high fuel prices,inflation,lawlessness and fixing voter fraud. Anyone in Washington interested in any of this?
I support Finland joining NATO.
i support Sweden joining NATO
I support Ukraine joining NATO
Putin has shown he will invade non-NATO countries. If they join, it's on him
Absolutely! As well as any other country over there who isn't already in NATO. Ukraine should have been. And surely that's what there'll ALL thinking right now. And I would NOT let the threats of Putin deter me no matter what he says. Because the same threats would be there wether you went against his wishes or not. Don't be bullied!
But for the want of a club membership, the world might have had peace. So the end game here is nuclear war, it seems, and everyone is more than willing to pay it. We do have our pride to think about. We are delusional with no foresight as to what we create. So sad.
I'm neither for or against.
The non-alignment policy arose during the Cold War due to Finland’s 810-mile border with Russia and to prevent a reprise of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Finland during World War II in the Winter War and the Continuation War. In those conflicts, Finnish forces inflicted heavy losses on the Red Army before an armistice that involved Finland ceding land in the Petsamo region near the Barents Sea and the Karelia region between Helsinki and St. Petersburg (then known as Leningrad) to the Soviet Union.
All people in democracies need to band together in the fight against tyranny.
Unless Finland is harboring a Neo Nazi paramilitary force, like Ukraine has, there would be no threat to Russians, or ethnic Russian Finlanders. As long as there is no threat, Finland should maintain its neutral relationship with its neighbor in good faith. By joining NATO, Finland sets itself up as a potential enemy of Russia. What good would that do for the Finlander population, many of whom are opposed to setting up an adversarial relationship with their neighbor and traditional trade partner next door. Joining NATO will wind up having Finland prepare for war with Russia, but pay a small amount into the organization as compared with the many times more amount, which the United States will end up paying into NATO for Finland's defense. Financially, it would be a good deal for Finland to join and be a member, but a very bad deal for the United States, as is typical for the current 'America Last' regime in control of the U.S. foreign affairs.
In adfdition, turning over America's CDC and health care in a pandemic or other 'health emergency' to the World Health Organization and giving up the sovereignty of the American People to such an Authoritarian organization by unilateral agreement between the W.H.O. and President Biden is the worst treaty Americans have ever heard of. Joe Biden is mentally incapable of making such a unilateral treaty in the coming days and the U.S. Congress should not approve of it, unless of course they are all W.E.F. and U.N. zombies having been suckered into the New World Order scheme of world totalitarianism and authoritarianism. This would be a blatant violation of the U.S. Constitution and the liberty of the American People who do not want to be controlled by the same organization that had people all over the world locked down in a fabricated Pandemic lock down designed to control people these past two years. Congressmen and Senators who truly represent the American People and are sworn to protect the U.S. Constitution must stand against Biden's unilateral treaty with the W.H.O. that would enforce lockdowns over all Americans using the Blue Helmets of the United Nations, backed up by the CCP armed forces that would be brought in to wear the blue helmets should Americans just say NO to the authoritarianism of the W.H.O. mandates on everyone in the united States, land of the free and home of the brave. Americans are guaranteed the God-given Freedom of Choice over our own bodies. Remember that God has freedom of choice, which supercedes the W.H.O. and the United Nations, both of which deserve to be defunded by the United States Government should they mandate total control over Americans' Rights to choose.
I fully support expanding NATO, as we have seen that Russia continues to dream of empire building! Not only do they dream they act on it! They keep choosing leaders that follow that path !
A threat to freedom anywhere is a threat to freedom everywhere, so we must band together with the free nations of the world to protect liberty against tyranny! The free democracies of Finland and Sweden are more than welcome to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Funny thing is, if Putin had minded his own business and run Russia for the benefit of his people Finland and Sweden would still be neutral and so would Ukraine. Putin's aggression and blind ambition have unleashed his worst nightmare.
Not to mention that of the Russian people who are suffering from the sanctions the West has put in place to starve the beast...
Turkey says it will veto Finland and Sweden's Nato membership
they lose their veto power for stepping out of nato! are we forgetting that they purchased russian air defense systems only a few months ago?
can't have it both ways!
I absolutely support this decision! I also hope that Sweden will also join. This will strengthen NATO also. The Finns have a long history being excellent fighters as evidenced by their previous encounters with Russia. The Finnish populace are great people. We have visited Finland one time and it is one of our favorite places!!
i'm disappointed that the vote of NATO members has to be unanimus. turkey has practically promised to vote no.
If Finland wants to join NATO, then definitely let them. This would be just desserts for Putin's Russia. He thought he was preventing Ukraine from joining NATO. But now he has encouraged Finland to finally join NATO and possibly Sweden as well. I would not be surprised by Ukarine applying for NATO membership after it joins the E.U.
I am 100% for Findland being in NATO
We need to have Europe united against Putin.
I would love to see all countrys that have a base belief in freedom and liberty for all of it's people regarless of race, religion, gender or sexual preference; all come together under one fine minded umbrella of protection, peace and military assistence! That would be perfect!
I don't think Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan can be depended on to up hold article 5, Turkey should be shown the NATO door and learn to speak Russian.
finland is doing the right thing
NATO needs to accept Finland, Sweden and Ukraine as members. That way these countries will be better protectedfrom Russian aggression. BTW, Finland and Sweden wouldn't even be considering admission to NATO if Putin hadn't said that after Ukraine he was going to after them next. Putinand Russia are the aggressors attacking countries that have done nothing to Russia. Putin has said he wants recreate the USSR. It seems he wants to do more than recreate USSR, he wants to expand it. Putin needs to be stopped now or he'll never be stopped.
Nato has to evolve for world Peace by accepting every friendly country in the world.
Finland has been prepared for NATO for a long time and would be a formidable deterrent against any aggressor.
Absolutely Finland and Sweden join NATO. United we protect our world against aggressors,