Helsinki: Finland believes it is important to make a decision on joining NATO with Sweden despite having Russia as a neighbor, and with whom the country should maintain relations, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Haavisto opened a debate in parliament to discuss a report on regional security since the start Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.
“Russia is our neighbor and will forever remain so. We should try to maintain a working relationship with Russia. Contacts between Finland and Sweden on security policy are very close. Finland and Sweden must decide on NATO at the same time and in the same direction. Simultaneous accession processes could facilitate Russia’s possible reaction,” Haavisto said.
Russia is opposed to NATO expansion, and Finland should prepare for a large-scale and unpredictable Russian influence in the process of a possible NATO accession, Haavisto added. Antti Lindtman, chairman of the ruling Social Democratic Party in parliament, also noted that Russia’s actions in Ukraine have brought Finland many steps closer to joining NATO.
“Finland has already made decisions to strengthen its defense. Prior to that, a decision was made to purchase fighter jets. It is time to discuss NATO membership. It is time for decisions,” Prime Minister Sanna Marin said.
Last week, Swedish newspaper Expressen reported that Finland had invited Sweden to jointly file applications for NATO membership. On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Russia warned Sweden and Finland about the consequences of joining NATO.Â
