Finland's PM Expresses Concerns over Freezing NATO Membership Request

Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Tuesday that Finland and Sweden's NATO application could be frozen due to Turkey's objection.

Both Nordic countries kept their non-alignment strategy and didn't apply for the NATO memberships, but this strategy changed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Both countries filed their applications to join the defence alliance in May.

Therefore, the 30 state members should approve the request of the new members, so without Turkey's approval before the upcoming summit, both Sweden and Finland's applications will be frozen.

Marin said: “I think it’s very important to go forward at this stage. If we don’t solve these issues before Madrid, there is a risk that the situation will freeze."

She added: “We don’t know for how long but it might freeze for a while."

Ankara accused Finland and Sweden of providing a safe shelter for PKK members that are listed as a “terrorist” group by Turkey.

Therefore, the Finnish Prime Minister stressed that they respected and understood Turkey’s concerns seriously and she said “and if there are some misunderstandings, to correct those.”

“Of course we are taking all the issues very seriously and are having talks, but I also think that it’s also Turkey’s responsibility to try to find solutions at this stage,” Marin asserted at a joint press conference.

On Sunday, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said in a news briefing that Finland would not join NATO without Sweden.

“When I last visited Sweden, I made it very clear,” he added.

“In Sweden, they say the Finnish issue is our business, and in the same way, the Swedish issue is our business, and the means we go forward, hand in hand,” Niinisto commented on the possibility of Finland joining NATO independently without Sweden.

On June 10, NATO announced that Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO Secretary-General will visit Sweden and Finland from June 12 to 13.

It is noteworthy that Stoltenberg will meet on Sunday, in Finland, the country’s foreign minister, and on Monday, in Sweden, with the Swedish Prime Minister. As a result of the meetings, joint press conferences were planned.

Finland and Sweden submitted, earlier last May, an application for membership in the alliance, but Turkey announced its reservations about their accession, accusing the two countries of harboring wanted “terrorist elements” in Turkey.