Sweden and Finland have agreed to submit applications to join Nato at the same time, perSwedish news

[yaesu]

Last edited Mon Apr 25, 2022, 01:26 PM - Edit history (1)

Sweden and Finland have agreed to submit applications to join Nato at the same time, the Swedish newspaper Expressen reports.

Both countries have agreed to announce their applications in the week of 16 to 22 May, during Finland’s president Sauli Niinistö’s visit to Stockholm, according to Swedish government sources.

Guardian news feed

Update, The Finnish daily Iltalehti said on Monday that Stockholm had “suggested the two countries indicate their willingness to join” on the same day, and that Helsinki had agreed “as long as the Swedish government has made its decision”.

The Swedish newspaper Expressen cited government sources as confirming the report. The two countries’ prime ministers said this month they were deliberating the question, arguing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had changed Europe’s “whole security landscape” and “dramatically shaped mindsets” in the Nordic region.

Finland’s prime minister, Sanna Marin, said then that her country, which shares a 1,300km (810 mile) border with Russia, would decide whether to apply to join the alliance “quite fast, in weeks not months”, despite the risk of infuriating Moscow.

Her Swedish counterpart, Magdalena Andersson, said Sweden had to be “prepared for all kinds of actions from Russia” and that “everything had changed” when Moscow attacked Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly warned both countries against the move.

[Torchlight]

1. I think Putin has single-handedly unified the west

to a point its not seen in many years. I think Putin's war may be one bridge too far for him, and the fallout from this might see him 'retire' to some extravagantly ugly dacha.

[yaesu]

2. yep, pootie is expanding NATO, the guy is dumber than tRump & that is sayin something. nt

[gab13by13]

27. President Biden unified NATO and our allies.

Had Biden not taken the lead, it is possible that Russia would have taken over Ukraine by now. Finland and Sweden would have 2nd thoughts had not NATO responded so forcefully, and that is because of president Biden.

Putin and Trump sorely underestimated president Biden.

[RKP5637]

3. Excellent!!! n/t

[JohnSJ]

4. F**k you Putin and trump

[ripcord]

5. It is amazing how some countries can be fast tracked while others are thrown to the wolves. nt

[yaesu]

7. There is no indication that they will be fast tracked, probably will go through the normal

application process. I don't remember any countries being "thrown to the wolves" by NATO.

[ripcord]

9. NATO claims to have an open door policy but that stopped when it came to Ukraine

It has been mostly France and Germany who have kept Ukraine out but the U.S. also opposed the move, we wouldn't want to upset Putin now would we? Now that there is an actual war and no chance for Ukraine to join the open door policy is back in place for Finland and Sweden, two countries who have refused to join for over 70 years. Nice to see that NATO has its priorities in order.

[yaesu]

14. Fair point, NATO decided not to invite Ukraine & another country back in 2008 nt

[Tadpole Raisin]

28. I remember seeing that denying them entry had to do with the level of corruption

in the country. They had to meet certain criteria and just weren’t there. Even though the Putin puppet Yanukovych left in 2015 I don’t think his successors were much better.

Too bad Zelenskyy didn’t get in sooner. Makes me wonder if that was also a motivation for Putin to invade. Maybe he thought this was the first time Ukraine might have a shot at getting into NATO if Zelenskyy enacted reforms where as before this wasn’t possible. Putin could not let that happen.

It just pleases me no end that Putin is likely pissed at Sweden and Finland.

[Ocelot II]

8. If it happens quickly it's because Sweden and Finland already have agreements

with NATO and have been working with the alliance for some time. Otherwise there's still a process:

Sweden, Finland and NATO already work closely together, and according to several Swedish media, this may mean that the formal assessment of the application can go very quickly. Then NATO member states must ratify an addendum to the Atlantic Pact, which forms the basis of the entire alliance.

The Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter experiences that the supplement can be presented before the NATO summit in Madrid at the end of June.

Finally, the supplement must be ratified by all 30 member countries. This can take several months, and takes place in different ways in each country. In the United States, the Senate must approve the protocol amendment by a two-thirds majority, while in the United Kingdom, Parliament does not have to hold a formal vote.

Thus, Sweden and Finland can be members of NATO during the autumn.

https://www.aftenposten.no/verden/i/nWxkyQ/sverige-og-finland-skal-vaere-enige-om-mulig-felles-nato-soeknad-i-mai-kan-bli-med-til-hoesten

[ripcord]

10. Amazing how that works isn't it

I remember when NATO promised Georgia and Ukraine membership but then they let Putin veto it.

[Ocelot II]

11. Not quite. Ukraine's corrupt pro-Russian former president Yanukovych made that decision.

Plans for NATO membership were shelved by Ukraine following the 2010 presidential election in which Yanukovych, who, because of his pro-Russia stance, preferred to keep the country non-aligned, was elected. Yanukovych was ousted and fled Ukraine in February 2014. He now lives in exile in Russia. There have also been lingering internal problems resulting from the corruption of the former government which, per NATO rules, have to be addressed before it can join the alliance.

[ripcord]

12. What about last June?

At the NATO Summit last June NATO promised Ukraine membership again, they also promised the right for them to determine their own future without interference, we all know how that worked out. The reason Ukraine isn't in NATO is weak knees in Europe.

[Amishman]

18. its a little more complicated than that

One of the criteria for NATO membership is having no territorial disputes. Russia's funding of separatists in neighbors is a two-fer for them. It blocks the country from NATO membership, and sets the plate for Russia to take a nibble if the opportunity arises.

Ukraine and Georgia's prior internal unrest and corruption issues were also problems.

Sweden and Finland have stable governments and no disputes.

[James48]

20. No disputes Today.

Ukraine didn’t have any disputes either when it announced it wanted to join NATO. The dispute and invasion of Crimea came as a result of Ukraine announcing it was going to pursue NATO membership.

It’s an extraordinarily dangerous thing for Sweden and Finland to wait until a month from now.

[ripcord]

24. NATO said in June 2021 Ukraine would be able to join

Then they let Putin veto it, they give a lot of power to the someone outside the alliance. Zelensky may have been right when he called for new alliances and new institutions because despite NATO's alleged open door policy and the goal of defending Europe all they have done is cover their asses. I have serious doubts France and Germany would give any more than lip service to a NATO member who was attacked.

[Mike Nelson]

6. Yay! Yay!

... Putin is doing better than the Clintons!

[Sogo]

13. That's great to know, but would maybe be even better to keep it quiet,

until AFTER they become NATO members....

IMHO....

[yaesu]

17. Maybe but knowing putins plans are unraveling & even making things worse for him in real time

is great propaganda for the west can only hurt, not help putins criminal ambitions.

[oldsoftie]

15. Wow Putin accomplished in 2 months what NATO didn't for 70+ yrs!

Neutral countries joining NATO!

[rockfordfile]

16. good

[James48]

19. Terribly Dangerous!!

Only because they have not YET submitted.

Putin knows, from the Crimea invasion, that all he has to do is launch a war and NATO will put the application on hold. I would not put it past Putin to be angry and launch a war to prevent them from joining!

Both nations need to apply TODAY before Putin can launch another attack.

Come on Sweden and Finland- apply TODAY!

[Beetwasher.]

26. With What Army?

Seriously.

[James48]

29. They both have good Military forces.

Sweden and Finland both are quiet well equipped for a potential NATO country.


Sweden: 52,000 active and reserve military forces, and another 38,000 militias.

Swedish army possesses: 240 tanks, 212 tank destroyers, around 1,300 APCs, 860 IFVs, 11,300 utility vehicles, 220 mortars, and currently 4 (24 when all are delivered) 155 mm self-propelled artillery pieces. Swedish Air Force: 217 aircraft, including more than 100 fighters. Swedish NAVY: almost 2 dozen ships, and 147 patrol boats.
More: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_equipment_of_the_Swedish_Armed_Forces

Finland is also militarily strong: almost 1,000 armored vehicles, 200 tanks, and much, much more.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_equipment_of_the_Finnish_Army

[Beetwasher.]

30. I Meant Russia's Army, Sweden and Finland would each be able to kick Russia's ass on their own

[Sucha NastyWoman]

21. Why can't Ukraine do that too?

Have they not proved themselves to be worthy?

And if it were a done deal, I think there might be a good chance Putin would back off?

[ripcord]

25. France and Germany are cowards and let Putin veto Ukrain's membership nt

[Crunchy Frog]

22. Should do it on May 9th.

[Martin Eden]

23. Unintended consequences for Putie

His invasion of Ukraine has made NATO more relevant and necessary than it has been since the breakup of the Soviet Union.

[Hekate]

31. "Everything had changed" -- ja, I guess you could say that