HELSINKI: Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pekka Haavisto, stated in an interview with Arab News that Finland feels safer now as a member of NATO, despite already having a strong military presence in the country. Haavisto mentioned that being part of NATO allows Finland to receive support in case of an attack, which provides an additional layer of security.
Finland’s decision to join NATO was prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which had significant implications for the Nordic nation. With Finland becoming the 31st member of the Western military alliance on April 4, the length of the Russian Federation’s border with NATO more than doubled.
While Finland’s NATO accession was met with thinly veiled threats from Russian officials, Haavisto expressed concern about potential miscalculations by Russia in Europe. He emphasized Finland’s commitment to not threatening anyone and its desire to avoid being part of any miscalculations.
Finland Joins NATO After Ukraine War
Haavisto clarified that Finland had the option to join NATO since 2004, but the assessment of the country’s security situation changed following the Ukraine invasion. The decision to apply for NATO membership was made jointly with Sweden, with the aim of enhancing their own security.
The accession process for Finland and Sweden faced delays, as all existing NATO members must ratify new memberships. Turkey and Hungary initially withheld their ratification. Turkey, in particular, had several demands, including the extradition of individuals it considers terrorists and the lifting of arms embargoes imposed on Ankara after its military involvement in northern Syria in 2019.
Negotiations led to Finland meeting Turkey’s demands, resulting in its eventual ratification. However, the Swedish bid for NATO membership is still pending. Haavisto expressed optimism that Sweden will be approved as a NATO member prior to the NATO summit in July.
Apart from NATO-related issues, Haavisto closely follows foreign policy matters concerning Turkey. He highlighted the intertwined fate of Turkey and Syria and called for a peaceful political solution to the Syrian conflict.
