The possible admission of Sweden and Finland to NATO will require reciprocal steps on the part of Russia.

This was stated at a press briefing by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

“All OSCE participating States in their national capacity, including Finland and Sweden, reaffirmed the principle that the security of some states should not be built at the expense of the security of other countries.

It is obvious that the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO, which is primarily, as you well understand, a military bloc, would have serious military and political consequences that would require our country to take reciprocal steps, ”Zakharova emphasized.

At the same time, on February 25, the US State Department announced that if Stockholm and Helsinki decide to join NATO, then the doors of the alliance are open to them. 

Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that he had invited Finland and Sweden, which are not members of the bloc, to a virtual summit on the situation around Ukraine.

He specified that it would discuss measures for the additional defense of the Allies.

"Not necessary"

Also the other day, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said that Helsinki, if necessary, is ready to apply to join the alliance.

“If the question of national security comes up sharply,” Marin said.

Earlier, commenting on this issue, the head of the Finnish government drew attention to the fact that in order to submit an application, there must be strong support from the public and parliament.

Such a discussion is not currently underway, the politician stressed.

  • Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin

  • AFP

  • © Markku Ulander / Lehtikuva

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö also said that, despite some calls to immediately apply for NATO membership against the backdrop of the start of a special military operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, this will not happen.

In turn, in January, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson also said that the country would not change its foreign policy and did not intend to take steps towards joining NATO.

“Sweden has pursued its line in the field of security for a long time, and we have always made it clear that we have a partnership with NATO.

We also cooperate with many other countries, we have a special relationship with Finland.

My assessment is that right now the situation is not like that;

that is, the position of the government is clearly that we do not need to join NATO, ”TASS quoted the prime minister as saying.

From her point of view, a change in foreign policy would be a risk for Sweden and would not contribute to stability.

However, despite the statements of the Finnish and Swedish authorities about the lack of intentions to join NATO, these countries called on the alliance not to agree with the security guarantees proposed by Russia, as reported by the bloc's Secretary General.

“Recently I spoke with the President of Finland and the Prime Minister of Sweden.

They are not currently seeking NATO membership, but have advised us not to sign the document that Russia wants us to sign.

Who will close these doors.

Countries want to reserve the right to decide their own future,” Stoltenberg said on the radio station Ekho Moskvy in late January.

Historical neutrality

Recall that Finland and Sweden have retained the status of neutral countries since the Cold War.

The corresponding agreements with the Finnish side were the result of diplomatic cooperation with the USSR after World War II, in which Finland fought on the side of Nazi Germany.

We also note that, despite the non-bloc status and the development of their own defense capabilities, both countries cooperate with NATO.

For example, Sweden provides the United States and other countries in the bloc with intelligence.

  • NATO flag

  • Gettyimages.ru

  • © Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto

In addition, since 1994, both Sweden and Finland have been officially partners of the alliance under the Partnership for Peace program.

In turn, representatives of the establishment in Washington and Brussels have previously stated that Helsinki and Stockholm can almost immediately receive the status of members of the North Atlantic Alliance, as soon as they submit their respective applications.

In particular, former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen spoke about this.

“If Finland and Sweden applied for membership, we could decide on this issue overnight.

You could become a member of the organization the very next day, since you meet all the necessary membership criteria,” Rasmussen said in an interview with the Finnish portal Yle.

A similar statement was made by US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland.

According to her, the readiness to accept Finland and Sweden into NATO as soon as possible was expressed by at least five US presidential administrations in which she worked.

According to Nuland, this is due to the high standards of democracy in the aforementioned countries, as well as the absence of corruption and a stable economic situation.

The current head of the military bloc also talked about the possible rapid admission of these states to the alliance, since they have well-organized defense and security institutions.

"Do not proceed from national interests"

Meanwhile, according to analysts, Finland and Sweden are now more likely to benefit from their neutral status, but may lose its benefits in case of hasty political decisions.

“This is fraught with the fact that American troops, equipment and missiles may appear on the territory of Finland and Sweden, which will be aimed at the territory of the Russian Federation.

In the ports of Finland and Sweden will be American ships with cruise missiles.

Therefore, Russia will not be able to take this situation calmly, we will be forced to take some kind of countermeasures, ”Dmitry Litovkin, editor of the Independent Military Review newspaper, emphasized in a conversation with RT.

In addition, by deploying foreign military on their territory, these countries will inevitably lose part of their sovereignty, as happened with other NATO members, the analyst notes.

The editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, military expert Igor Korotchenko, for his part, suggested that the United States is the main beneficiary of the membership of Finland and Sweden in the bloc.

“To draw the neutral states of Europe into it is one of the important geopolitical tasks and military tasks of the United States, first of all.

For the good and benefit of the peoples of these states, NATO membership will not work.

On the contrary, it will worsen their security.

While these neutral states are in the belt of good neighborliness, but the admission of Finland and especially Sweden with its military developed industry and infrastructure into the alliance will be a geopolitical military challenge for Moscow, ”Korotchenko emphasized in a commentary to RT.

The head of the Bureau of Military-Political Analysis, Alexander Mikhailov, also believes that this topic was on the agenda under pressure from the EU and the United States.

“Now it has only a political plane, there is no military substantive significance here.

They need to annoy Russia, look for ways to hurt her.

Given the current crisis in the relationship, they find appropriate reasons.

I doubt that Finland and Sweden really want to become members of the bloc.

They did not hold referendums, this is just the opinion of certain politicians, ”the expert argues.

He also stated that now the United States is exerting tremendous pressure on all the states of Europe.

“Each country is forced to invent something, some new measures, sanctions against Russia.

If Finland and Sweden really decide to join NATO, let them.

The question, again, is that this will not make it harder for Russia, but for them, on the contrary.

Such decisions do not proceed from national interests - this is an attempt to play along with the general course, ”Mikhailov concluded.