Russia on Tuesday expelled two Finnish diplomats as tensions between the two countries remained high. Finland, which shares a 1,300-km border with Russia, has been rattled by Russia’s invasion of another neighbour, Ukraine
Finnish Foreign Affairs Minister Pekka Haavisto (R) and Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen give a press conference to announce that Finland will apply for NATO membership at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland on May 15, 2022. (AFP)
Lawmakers in Finland voted overwhelmingly in favour on Tuesday of joining NATO as a deterrent against Russian aggression, paving the way for a joint application with Sweden to be submitted in the coming days.
After a marathon debate lasting a day-and-a-half, 188 of 200 members of parliament voted in favour of NATO membership, a dramatic turnaround from Finland’s military non-alignment policy dating back more than 75 years.
“Tonight, we will sign the application letter for NATO”, Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told public broadcaster YLE.
“Then possibly tomorrow, together with Sweden, the Finnish ambassador to NATO will submit the letter to NATO”, he said.
Finland, which shares a 1,300-kilometre (800-mile) border with Russia, has been rattled by Russia’s invasion of another neighbour, Ukraine.
“Our security environment has fundamentally changed,” Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin told parliament on Monday at the start of the debate.
“The only country that threatens European security, and is now openly waging a war of aggression, is Russia”, she said.
Russia expels Finnish diplomats
Meanwhile, Russia on Tuesday said it was expelling two Finnish diplomats and will leave a multinational organisation focused on the Baltic Sea, as tensions remain high over Finland and Sweden’s ambitions to join NATO.
The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday framed the expulsion of the two Finnish diplomats as a response to Finland expelling two Russians last month.
It also said the Finnish ambassador was read a protest against Finland’s confrontational course in relation to Russia, including its role in international sanctions against Russia and arms supplies to Ukraine. The statement made no mention of NATO.
Russia said it was leaving the Council of the Baltic Sea States, an 11-nation grouping where Finland and Sweden are prominent members, and the related Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, a grouping of national lawmakers.
Biden to host leaders of Finland, Sweden
US President Joe Biden will host the leaders of Finland and Sweden at the White House on Thursday to discuss their historic bids to join NATO in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson will meet Biden to discuss the “NATO applications and European security, as well as strengthening our close partnerships across a range of global issues and support for Ukraine,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
Finland-Russia relations
Finland spent more than a century as part of the Russian empire until it gained independence in 1917. It was then invaded by the Soviet Union in 1939.
Finns put up a fierce fight during the bloody Winter War, but were ultimately forced to cede a huge stretch of their eastern Karelia province in a peace treaty with Moscow.
According to public opinion polls, more than three-quarters of Finns want to join the alliance, almost three times as many as before the war in Ukraine began on 24 February.
Sweden announced its official intention to apply for NATO membership on Monday and Foreign Minister Ann Linde signed the application letter on Tuesday.
With inputs from AFP, AP
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