NATO

Finland changed its policy toward the military alliance after troops invaded Ukraine. Sweden has avoided all military alliances, but like Finland, ...

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Finland, which shares a border with Russia, changed its policy toward the military alliance after troops invaded Ukraine.

But the invasion changed Kaipia's mind. "I always thought myself being a pacifist, and NATO for me was part of the militarization of the world," said Jouni Kaipia, an architect and a photographer, after attending a rally in Helsinki to support Ukraine. HELSINKI, Finland – The leaders of Finland and Sweden have announced that they back their countries applying to join NATO in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Nato foreign ministers said the accession process – which usually takes up to a year – would be expedited. . Read more at straitstimes.com.

However, not all Nato members were in favour of membership for the two Nordic countries, with Turkey threatening to put a spanner into the works over their alleged support for what it calls terrorist groups. The two nations are already de-facto “Nato members, just without membership cards”, she added. “I hope this can be done within weeks,” she said. “I, or Finland, are not known to sneak around and quietly disappear behind a corner. A new era is opening,” Mr Niinisto said. The motion will be debated in the Finnish Parliament on Monday, but with a majority of lawmakers in favour and record levels of public support for the proposal, a formal application for Nato membership appears to now only be a formality.

HELSINKI : NATO and the United States said on Sunday (May 15) they were confident that Turkish concerns would not hold up bids by Finland and Sweden to join ...

"He confirmed that he thinks it's a mistake. Any decision on NATO enlargement requires approval by all 30 allies and their parliaments. Spelling out Turkey's demands on Sunday, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said talks with Swedish and Finnish counterparts in Berlin had been helpful.

NATO Foreign Ministers met in Berlin on Sunday (15 May 2022) to discuss the possible membership application of Finland and Sweden as well as to reaffirm ...

Europe and North America are solidly united. “President Putin wants Ukraine defeated, NATO down and Europe and North America divided. NATO Foreign Ministers met in Berlin on Sunday (15 May 2022) to discuss the possible membership application of Finland and Sweden as well as to reaffirm NATO’s support for Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s brutal invasion.

Finland, which shares a border with Russia, changed its policy toward the military alliance after troops invaded Ukraine.

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Finland changed its policy toward the military alliance after troops invaded Ukraine. Sweden has avoided all military alliances, but like Finland, ...

But the invasion changed Kaipia's mind. "I always thought myself being a pacifist, and NATO for me was part of the militarization of the world," said Jouni Kaipia, an architect and a photographer, after attending a rally in Helsinki to support Ukraine. HELSINKI, Finland – The leaders of Finland and Sweden have announced that they back their countries applying to join NATO in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Switzerland's fabled neutral status is about to face its biggest test in decades, with the defense ministry tilting closer to Western military powers in ...

"Before Ukraine, some people thought there would never be another conventional war in Europe," he said, adding that some had advocated for disbanding the army. The defense ministry will also contribute to a broader study being prepared by the foreign ministry. The report itself will not be submitted to a vote. This is seen an attack on our western democratic values," said Michael Hermann of Sotomo. Support for actually joining the treaty remains a minority view, but has grown significantly. On a trip to Washington this week, Defense Minister Viola Amherd said Switzerland should work more closely with the U.S.-led military alliance, but not join it, Swiss media reported.

It's a historic move for the Nordic countries, which are known for their policies of military neutrality.

Finland and Sweden have both been reviewing their security policies following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which showed the Kremlin is willing to attack a neighboring nation. Last week, Russia's foreign ministry said Finland joining NATO would be a "radical change" in the country's foreign policy. Finland shares an 830-mile border with Russia; if it joins the military alliance, the land border that Russia shares with NATO territories would roughly double. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has deteriorated the security situation for Sweden and Europe as a whole," Ann Linde, Sweden's foreign affairs minister, said on Twitter. Marin said Finland has been in close contact with NATO and its members over the decision. - Finland shares an 830-mile border with Russia; if it joins the military alliance, the land border that Russia shares with NATO territories would roughly double.

“President Putin wants Ukraine defeated, Nato down, North America and Europe divided,” Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in Berlin after meeting the ...

Finnish leaders say shift in wake of Russian action is not just in politics but also in people's minds.

STOCKHOLM: Sweden will send diplomats to Turkey to try to overcome Ankara's objections to its plan to join NATO, Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist said, ...

The government will take the formal decision to apply later in the day, Hultqvist said. Advertisement Advertisement

Good morning. Finland, Sweden closer to NATO membership, Germany plans to stop Russian oil imports, EU is facing an economic storm and tenants return to London.

NATO members rallied around Finland and Sweden after they announced plans to join the alliance, marking another dramatic change in Europe’s security architecture triggered by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Gathering in Berlin over the weekend, most NATO foreign ministers embraced the bloc’s northern enlargement, a process that requires unanimity among the 30 allies. The one country to voice concerns was Turkey, unhappy that Finland and Sweden have had relations with Kurdish militants who have been active in eastern Turkey. Governments in Helsinki and Stockholm are set to deliver their formal applications at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels later in the week once their respective parliaments have signed off. Finland, Sweden closer to NATO membership, Germany plans to stop Russian oil imports, EU is facing an economic storm and tenants return to London. Here’s what people are watching.

STOCKHOLM : Sweden will send diplomats to Turkey to try to overcome Ankara's objections to its plan to join NATO, Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist said, ...

The government will take the formal decision to apply later in the day, Hultqvist said. Advertisement Advertisement

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey is not “favorable” toward Finland and Sweden joining NATO, but he has not ruled it out.

Moscow tells Nordic pair there will be 'far-reaching consequences' as both parliaments begin debating issue.

Nato and the US have both said they were confident Turkey would not hold up Sweden’s accession. While 85% of Finland’s 200 MPs back membership, 150 have requested to speak and a vote was not expected on Monday. “I’m confident we will be able to address the concerns Turkey has expressed in a way that doesn’t delay the membership,” Stoltenberg said on Sunday. “Our goal is to be amongst the first countries to be able to ratify the accession of Sweden and Finland, because we know that the interim period between the accession demand and the ratification must be shortened,” she said. She added: “Unfortunately, we have no reason to believe the current trend [of Russia’s actions] will be reversed in the foreseeable future.” A formal Swedish government decision to join the alliance is expected later on Monday. Ryabkov added that the two Nordic nations “should have no illusions that we will simply put up with it”, warning that the move was “another grave mistake with far-reaching consequences” and the “general level of military tension will increase”.

With Finland and Sweden both announcing their bids to join the Western military alliance NATO on Sunday, all eyes are on how Russia will react.

It will depend on what, in practical terms, will be the result of the expected accession of Finland and Sweden to the alliance. Russia has justified its invasion of Ukraine in large part on the false premise that NATO is fighting a proxy war against it, in Ukraine. Russia still holds a powerful card in this area because it has traditionally accounted for around 40% of the EU's gas imports. "Of course there will continue to be airspace violations, just like there are over other NATO countries, but we're a defensive alliance and we're going to react coolly and professionally. With Sweden and Finland's latest move to join NATO, experts believe the alliance should prepare itself for more provocations from Russia. Russian provocations of NATO are nothing new.

On Tuesday, 17 May 2022, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will participate in a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (Defence) of the ...

On Tuesday, 17 May 2022, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will participate in a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union (EU). On Tuesday, 17 May 2022, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will participate in a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (Defence) of the European Union (EU). NATO Secretary General to participate in a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council

Vladimir Putin, Russia's paramount leader since the last day of 1999, has repeatedly cited the post-Soviet enlargement of the NATO alliance eastwards towards ...

The United States and NATO dispute that such assurances were given explicitly. Finland gained independence from Russia in 1917 and fought two wars against it during World War II during which it lost territory. It is a shame that common sense is being sacrificed to some phantom provision about what should be done in this unfolding situation," Ryabkov said.

Formal application to defense alliance could come as soon as Monday. NATO Summit 2014 in Newport. Sweden's official bid to join ...

Last week, a Swedish parliamentary report on the country’s security strategy suggested that NATO membership would “raise the threshold for military conflicts,” a position Social Democrat Foreign Minister Ann Linde repeated when she presented the report’s findings on Friday. Sweden has avoided all military alliances for more than two centuries, with national luminaries like former Prime Minister Olof Palme famously heralding the way his country’s military independence allowed it to be a force for peace in the world. Sweden’s governing Social Democrat Party on Sunday backed the idea of the country joining NATO in a historic policy U-turn that clears the way for a formal membership application in the coming days.

The two Nordic nations had long kept the military alliance at an arm's length, even while eying Russia to their east with caution. But Moscow's assault on ...

He added that Russia's reaction would depend on "how far and how close to our borders the military infrastructure will move." Russia currently shares about 755 miles of land border with five NATO members, according to the alliance. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, public support for joining NATO in Finland has leaped from around 30% to nearly 80% in some polls. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that "NATO expansion does not make the world more stable and secure" after the announcement. , Russia attempted to demand security guarantees from NATO that the alliance stop expanding eastward. The term was coined during the Cold War and has been applied to other countries in which a superpower exerts control over smaller neighboring states. "There's going to be preparations for contingencies as part of deterring any adventures that the Russians might be thinking of," Bildt said. While an independent nation, Sweden's geography puts it in the same "strategic environment" as its liberal democratic neighbors, Bildt said. The point of the treaty, and Article 5 specifically, was to deter the Soviets from attacking liberal democracies that lacked military strength. Article 5 guarantees that the resources of the whole alliance -- including the massive US military -- can be used to protect any single member nation, such as smaller countries who would be defenseless without their allies. Former Swedish leader Carl Bildt told CNN he doesn't see new big military bases being built in either country should they join NATO. He said that joining the alliance would likely mean more joint military training and planning between Finland, Sweden and NATO's 30 current members. But NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attempted to allay concerns about Turkey's stance, saying Sunday the country "has made it clear that their intention is not to block membership."

HELSINKI :The U.S. Congress will seek to ratify Finland's application to join the Western military alliance NATO before going on holiday in August, ...

"Our goal is to be amongst the first countries to be able to ratify the accession of Sweden and Finland," Joly told reporters as she arrived for a meeting with her EU counterparts in Brussels. She said it would only take days for Canada to ratify the accession. Not unanimous, but very significant," he said. Advertisement "Absolutely, that's not the majority view in the Republican Party, certainly not the majority view among Senate Republicans or House Republicans," he said when asked about former U.S. President Donald Trump's view on pulling his country out of NATO. Advertisement HELSINKI :The U.S. Congress will seek to ratify Finland's application to join the Western military alliance NATO before going on holiday in August, U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said in Helsinki after meeting with Finland's President Sauli Niinisto.

Sweden's Prime Minister said she sees “a historic change in our country's security policy line” as the country eyes NATO membership.

They made a surprise stop Saturday in Ukraine’s capital to express solidarity in the fight against the Kremlin. “The goal of the United States is to do it as rapidly as possible,” McConnell said. Not unanimous, but very significant,” the longtime NATO supporter said. The Scandinavian country has no nuclear weapons of its own. “Sweden is best defended within NATO,” Andersson said. In Helsinki, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Monday that there is “very significant” support in the Congress and he expects swift ratification, adding that the two Nordic countries will “bring a great deal to the NATO alliance.”

Deputy Foreign Minister said West should have no illusions Moscow would put up with Nato's Nordic expansion. . Read more at straitstimes.com.

Mr Putin says the "special military operation" in Ukraine is necessary because the US was using Ukraine to threaten Russia through Nato enlargement and Moscow had to defend against the persecution of Russian-speaking people. We shall react accordingly." Speaking to the leaders of a Russian-dominated military alliance of former Soviet states, Mr Putin said the enlargement of Nato was being used by the United States in an "aggressive" way to aggravate an already difficult global security situation.

Mr Vladimir Putin, Russia's paramount leader since the last day of 1999, has repeatedly cited the post-Soviet enlargement of the Nato alliance eastwards towards ...

Kyiv and its Western backers say the claim of persecution of Russian speakers has been exaggerated by Moscow into a pretext for an unprovoked war against a sovereign state. Finland gained independence from Russia in 1917 and fought two wars against it during World War Two during which it lost territory. Advertisement Advertisement We shall react accordingly." Advertisement

STOCKHOLM (REUTERS) - Sweden's government has formally decided to apply for Nato membership, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Monday (May 16), ...

Any decision on Nato enlargement requires approval by all 30 members of the alliance and their parliaments. "The decision... Swedish Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist said on Monday that Sweden would start diplomatic discussions with Turkey to try to overcome Ankara's objections to its plan to join Nato. "We will send a group of diplomats to hold discussions and have a dialogue with Turkey so we can see how this can be resolved and what this is really about," Mr Hultqvist told public service broadcaster SVT. Turkey surprised its Nato allies by saying it would not view applications by Finland and Sweden positively, mainly citing their history of hosting members of Kurdish militant groups. "The government has decided to inform Nato that Sweden wants to be accepted as a member of Nato," Ms Andersson told reporters, adding that the application could be handed in on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday and would be synchronised with Finland.

STOCKHOLM: Sweden on Monday (May 15) officially announced it will apply for NATO membership as a deterrent against Russian aggression, entering a "new era" ...

It was then invaded by the Soviet Union in 1939. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement

The Turkish president is unlikely to veto Nordic membership of NATO – but Turkey's bigger strategic worry is of a NATO-Russia conflict arising out of the ...

Senior Turkish officials are quietly concerned that the conflict is now turning into a NATO-Russia war and that the risk of escalation is growing, fuelled by greater arms support for Ukraine and the absence of a negotiations framework. Swedish foreign policy’s focus on human rights, gender equality, and diversity is almost anathema to the male-dominated, conservative political culture in Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party. Within the European Union, Swedes have championed a human rights-based approach in relations with Turkey – which has annoyed Ankara for years. For the past few years, Ankara has criticised NATO for failing to be a reciprocal love-match, a relationship that overlooks Turkey’s security concerns despites the country’s decades of loyalty to the alliance. Turkey views the US-allied Kurdish administration in northern Syria, dominated by the Syrian Democratic Forces, as an offshoot of the PKK and a threat on its southern border. It is unlikely that Erdogan had one specific policy goal in mind, but he will no doubt be expecting to be cajoled, persuaded, and eventually rewarded for his cooperation, as in the past. This was an obstacle in an otherwise well-choreographed Nordic march into NATO. Was Erdogan trying to put pressure on the US Congress for those F-16s that Ankara wants to purchase?

Sweden will follow neighboring Finland and apply for NATO membership because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, ending more than 200 years of military ...

After being firmly against NATO membership for decades, public opinion in both countries shifted following Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, with record levels of support for joining the alliance. “They thought they could scare Sweden and Finland and drive a wedge between us and our neighbors and allies. Like Finland it remained neutral throughout the Cold War, but formed closer relations with NATO after the 1991 Soviet collapse. “We cannot rule out that Sweden will be exposed to, for instance, disinformation and attempts to intimidate and divide us.” Speaking to a Russian-led military alliance of six ex-Soviet states, Putin said Moscow “does not have a problem” with Sweden or Finland as they apply for NATO membership, but that “the expansion of military infrastructure onto this territory will of course give rise to our reaction in response.” Sweden’s move came a day after the governing Social Democratic party endorsed a plan for the country to join the trans-Atlantic alliance and after Finland’s government announced that it would seek to join NATO.

President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that there was no threat to Russia if Sweden and Finland joined NATO but cautioned that Moscow would respond if the ...

The United States and NATO dispute that such assurances were given explicitly. "As to enlargement, Russia has no problem with these states - none. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Putin says the "special military operation" in Ukraine is necessary because the United States was using Ukraine to threaten Russia through NATO enlargement and Moscow had to defend against the persecution of Russian-speaking people. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

A group of NATO allies have offered Finland and Sweden interim security guarantees after the two Nordic countries announced they intend to join the alliance ...

Norway, Denmark, and Iceland—all NATO members—issued a joint statement in support of Sweden and Finland’s decision, pledging to support the two countries’ rapid accession into the alliance and aid them against any possible retaliatory action. Norway, Denmark, and Iceland—all NATO members—issued a joint statement in support of Sweden and Finland’s decision, pledging to support the two countries’ rapid accession into the alliance and aid them against any possible retaliatory action. Once Helsinki and Stockholm have submitted their applications, the decision moves to the North Atlantic Council, the alliance’s principal decision-making body, for consideration. Finland’s and Sweden’s accession into the alliance is expected to move briskly. He also cited Sweden and Finland’s 2019 decision to put an arms embargo on Turkey over its incursion into Syria. Several European officials who spoke to Foreign Policy on condition of anonymity speculated that this could be a blunt negotiating feint from Erdogan, and they anticipated Turkey would ultimately support Finland and Sweden joining NATO after diplomatic negotiations. Other Russian officials have been less discreet, with the deputy chair of the Russian parliament’s defense committee warning that Moscow could strike the United Kingdom and Finland using its RS-28 Sarmat nuclear-capable hypersonic missile. Finland and Sweden, which have for decades adhered to a policy of military nonalignment, rapidly reversed their policies after Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine in February sent shock waves throughout Europe. Several lawmakers who have opposed NATO expansion in the past, including Sens. Rand Paul and Mike Lee, could delay the Senate process, but adding both new members ultimately has widespread bipartisan support. “Finland and Sweden’s security is a matter of common concern to us all,” they said in the joint statement. Some Finnish officials believe Russia is too politically and militarily overstretched in Ukraine to focus on interrupting Finland’s path to NATO membership. Finland and Sweden, which have for decades adhered to a policy of military nonalignment, rapidly reversed their policies after Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine in February sent shock waves throughout Europe. Last week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also signed similar security agreements with both countries and vowed to back them in the event of a possible attack.