Defense Committee Calls It Best Option For Security

Topline

The Finnish Parliament’s Defense Committee said on Tuesday joining NATO is the best option for the country’s national security, bringing the country’s highly anticipated decision a step closer to the alliance ahead of an expected announcement on whether or not it will apply for membership in the coming days.

Finnish fans celebrate with their national flag in downtown Helsinki, on February 20, 2022. (Photo … [+] by ANTTI AIMO-KOIVISTO/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images)

Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images

Key Facts

Finland’s NATO membership would create a significant deterrent from Russian aggression against the country, the defense committee said in a statement.

Defense Committee chair Petteri Orpo told Finnish broadcaster YLE Finland has a good foundation of defense capabilities, but they are not enough to address the new security situation following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Orpo said NATO membership would strengthen “Finland’s national defense capability with the support of the union’s significant military resources.”

A total of 10 parliamentary committees will provide recommendations to the Foreign Affairs committee, though YLE reports the defense committee carries significant weight.

Finland is a partner to NATO—not a full-fledged member—meaning it is not covered under the alliance’s security agreement that states “an attack against one ally is considered as an attack against all allies.”

If Finland applies for membership, joining the alliance will likely take months, if not years, as countries seeking membership must go through formal discussions with NATO leaders, and get the approval of all 30 member countries—though the process could go quicker than other countries in the past, as NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said Finland already meets the alliance’s standards for security institutions.

What To Watch For

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö is expected to announce the country’s stance on joining NATO on Thursday, Reuters reports, and Finland’s Foreign Minister indicated last month Sweden could make their decision within days of Finland’s announcement.

Key Background

Russia’s invasion into Ukraine has forced Finland and its neighbor, Sweden, to re-evaluate their longstanding military neutrality. “There is a before and after the 24th of February,” Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said during a press conference last month announcing that both countries are conducting security reviews. “The security landscape has completely changed.” Finland, which declared independence from Russia in 1917, shares an 810-mile border with the country. Russia invaded Finland in 1939 and sparked a year-long war that ended with Finland ceding 11% of its territory to Russia.

Surprising Fact

Support for joining NATO in Finland rose sharply following Russia’s invasion into Ukraine. 76% of respondents of a poll conducted Monday by YLE support the move, up from 53% in February.

Chief Critic

Russia has opposed Finland and Sweden joining NATO, saying it would not bring peace to the European continent. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has warned that Russia would have to “rebalance the situation” with “military and political consequences,” and Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said last month Russia is prepared to send nuclear weapons to the Baltics if the two countries join the alliance.