Lithuanian President: "Finland and Sweden Must Join NATO Without Delay"

Gitanas Naus?da, President of Lithuania [Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Lithuanian President Gitanas Naus?da has called for the immediate accession of Sweden and Finland to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

According to major foreign media on the 17th (local time), President Naus?da urged the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO, stating that their membership would strengthen not only the security of the three Baltic states but also the NATO organization itself.

The three Baltic states?Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia?have traditionally supported the NATO membership of Finland and Sweden. The Baltic states view Finland, which fought the Winter War against Russia during World War II, as having a relatively large and well-trained military force for its size, which would help strengthen NATO forces. In the case of Sweden, the advantage lies in the deployment of fighter jets on Gotland Island, a strategic stronghold. Gotland Island is the largest island in Sweden, located in the middle of the Baltic Sea, and Sweden and the three Baltic states face each other across Gotland Island. For these reasons, the three Baltic states have traditionally wanted the Finnish military and Gotland Island to become part of NATO.

President Naus?da said that the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO would improve the security situation in the Baltic Sea region and provide better surveillance and control from a military perspective in the Baltic area. He also stated that the membership of Sweden and Finland would strengthen the NATO organization.

Finland and Sweden are members of the European Union (EU) but have not joined NATO. Both countries refrained from joining NATO, citing benefits in their relations with Russia. However, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, public opinion has increasingly favored joining NATO. According to Finnish government officials, Finland is expected to reach a conclusion on NATO membership before the NATO summit scheduled for June in Madrid, Spain. Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin also stated on the 15th that a decision on NATO membership would be made within weeks.

Regarding recent warnings that Russia might use nuclear weapons if Finland and Sweden join NATO, President Naus?da said these are merely rhetorical threats from Russia and do not require a response.

Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council, warned that nuclear weapons would be moved to the Baltic Sea if Finland and Sweden join NATO. However, the Lithuanian government already considers that Russia has nuclear weapon systems in the Baltic Sea. The Lithuanian government claimed in 2018 that Russia permanently deployed the Iskander missile system capable of carrying nuclear warheads in Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave. Kaliningrad borders Lithuania and Poland.

President Naus?da said Kaliningrad is probably the most militarized area in Europe and that tactical nuclear weapons are already there. He added that there is no need to respond to Russia's mere verbal threats.

President Naus?da also expressed support for Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas's recent remarks about changing NATO's mission in the Baltic Sea region. Kallas said that while NATO's mission in the Baltic Sea region is surveillance and peacekeeping, it should be changed to allow the shooting down of enemy fighter jets if necessary.

President Naus?da said that while surveillance and guarding may be suitable during peacetime, considering the situation in Ukraine, they are not a good solution. He also said that the most reliable deterrent is the actual deployment of foreign troops in the three Baltic states.

Lithuania plans to increase its defense budget this year to about 2.5% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and aims to expand it to 3% in the long term, exceeding NATO's 2% policy target.

President Naus?da stated that the increased defense budget will be spent on strengthening the Lithuanian military as well as expanding infrastructure for the stationing of foreign troops. He said related facilities will be expanded to accommodate a doubling of foreign troop presence. President Naus?da approved a plan proposed by NATO leadership to increase the NATO forces stationed in the three Baltic states and Poland from 1,000 to between 3,000 and 5,000 troops.