Swedish Foreign Minister: "Finland's NATO Membership Application Almost Certain"

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson is holding a digital press conference in Stockholm on February 3rd (local time). [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] The Swedish Foreign Minister stated on the 1st (local time) that Finland's NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) membership application is almost certain.

Ann Linde, Swedish Foreign Minister, said on TV that day, "We know that Finland is almost going to apply for NATO membership," adding, "If that happens, all balances will change. If any one of our countries joins, tensions will escalate."

When asked if she thinks Finland will join NATO, she replied, "I think I can say that with certainty."

Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto held talks with Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde, who visited Finland on the 29th of last month, and held a joint press conference in Helsinki.

They said that neither country has yet decided on NATO membership but stated they would cooperate closely on the decision and membership process.

Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, "If Finland and Sweden decide to apply, they will be warmly welcomed," and added, "We expect the process to proceed quickly."

Typically, joining NATO requires formal ratification by the parliaments of all 30 member countries, so a considerable amount of time is expected. Secretary General Stoltenberg said, "I expect there will be a provisional agreement during the period when Finland and Sweden's application process and the formal ratification by the 30 member parliaments take place."

Meanwhile, Finland and Sweden, traditionally representative neutral countries in Europe, saw a surge in public opinion favoring NATO membership following Russia's invasion that began on February 24th with the Ukraine war.

Although no official stance has been announced, foreign media reports suggest that, keeping in mind the NATO summit scheduled for June, they will soon announce their intention to apply for membership.

Russia has also warned that if the two countries join NATO, it will deploy nuclear weapons in Kaliningrad, a Russian territory located between Poland and Lithuania.