76% of Finnish Citizens Support... Position Change Due to Ukraine Crisis
Russia Strongly Criticizes as "Clear Threat, Security Instability in Europe and Worldwide"
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Finnish government has officially declared its accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), finally abandoning its neutral status maintained for 74 years. Russia, which has become geopolitically isolated in Europe due to Finland's NATO membership announcement, has strongly opposed the move, raising concerns that military tensions in the Nordic region will significantly escalate.
According to the Associated Press on the 12th (local time), Finnish President Sauli Niinist? and Prime Minister Sanna Marin issued a joint statement saying, "Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay," and "NATO membership will strengthen Finland's security." Following the joint declaration by the president and prime minister, Finland's ruling coalition party, the Social Democratic Party, is also expected to officially announce the NATO membership decision on the 15th.
Although Finland is a member of the European Union (EU), it has maintained a neutral status for 74 years to preserve friendly relations with Russia, with which it shares a 1,300 km border. Since 1948, Finland has consistently declared that it would not join NATO and denied any consideration of NATO membership despite Western countries raising the possibility before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
However, Finland's public support for NATO membership has greatly increased following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. According to the New York Times (NYT), a recent local poll showed that 76% of Finnish respondents agreed with joining NATO, while only 12% opposed it. The NYT pointed out that just six months ago, support was only around 20%.
Notably, Finland fought two direct wars with Russia in 1939 and 1944, losing about 10% of its territory, which reportedly intensified public sentiment following news of the Ukraine invasion. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto also emphasized the NATO membership decision, stating, "Russia's invasion of Ukraine has changed Finland's security situation."
Alongside Finland, neighboring Sweden is also expected to apply for NATO membership. Bloomberg, citing local media, reported that Sweden plans to submit its NATO membership application on the 16th. There is even speculation that both countries could have their NATO memberships approved as early as the end of next month. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Finland's decision, saying, "The accession process will proceed smoothly and swiftly."
If both countries join NATO, Russia's isolation in Europe is expected to deepen further. Currently, the border between NATO allies and Russia accounts for only 6% of Russia's total border, but if Sweden and Finland join NATO, the direct border between Russia and NATO will more than double. The Kremlin issued a statement strongly criticizing the move, saying, "Finland's NATO membership move is a clear threat to Russia," and "NATO's expansion will make Europe and the world more unstable."
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