Finland and Sweden embark on the "road to the treaty", NATO is approaching Russia for the sixth time, and Russia warns that "there will be no response"

　　[Global Times Comprehensive Report] On the 15th local time, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin jointly announced at a press conference held at the Presidential Palace in the capital Helsinki that Finland has officially decided to apply for NATO membership.

That night, Sweden's ruling Social Democratic Party also held its third internal meeting in Stockholm and formally decided to support Sweden's membership in NATO.

On the same day, NATO said at an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Berlin that if Sweden and Finland applied, NATO would take a prompt and positive decision.

Once Sweden and Finland, two countries that have long pursued "neutrality", join NATO, it will be the sixth "expansion" of NATO against Russia.

This not only further extended NATO's strategic encirclement and deterrence against Russia, leading to a violent rebound by Russia, but also increased the risk of a "nuclear war" in the world.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Glushko warned on the 14th that although it is too early to talk about the deployment of nuclear weapons in the region, once the two countries join NATO, it means "giving up their nuclear-free status."

Finnish scholar Rochalainen recently reminded that whether to join NATO is ultimately a multiple-choice question: whether to choose to promote the accelerating arms race and war, or choose the road to peace.

Fenry embarks on the "road to engagement"

　　"Today is a historic day," Finnish President Niinisto said at a press conference at 1 pm local time on the 15th: "Joining NATO will guarantee Finland's security to the greatest extent, and it will not be detrimental to anyone." Lin also said: "This is a truly historic day... Joining NATO will strengthen Finland's security. Finland's joining will also strengthen the security of NATO as a whole and the European Union." Marin also said that he hoped that Sweden would join Finland at the same time. NATO.

　　Finland's decision to formally apply to join NATO was made at a joint meeting of the Finnish President and the government's Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy that day.

According to the relevant agenda, the Finnish government will then submit a new report to parliament.

On the morning of the 16th, the Finnish parliament will discuss the report and submit a formal application for joining NATO on this basis.

It is expected that the parliamentary process can be completed as early as the 16th.

　　At 5:30 p.m. local time on the 15th, Sweden's ruling Social Democratic Party announced its official decision to support Sweden's membership in NATO.

The resolution will be submitted to parliament for discussion on the 16th.

If all goes according to plan, the Swedish government will submit its application to join NATO on May 17.

However, the resolution also stated that if the application is approved by NATO, the SPD will work to ensure that "Sweden's unilateral opposition to the deployment of nuclear weapons and permanent bases on the mainland" can be retained.

"Sweden Daily" said that after Finland and Switzerland formally submitted their applications for membership, the two countries could become full members after approval by the parliaments of 30 NATO member states. It is expected that this process will take 4 to 12 months.

　　On the 15th, NATO held an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Berlin, Germany.

NATO Deputy Secretary-General Jevana said that as long as Sweden and Finland apply, NATO will make a prompt and positive decision.

He also said that at the NATO summit to be held in Madrid, Georgia will also be invited to the meeting, "NATO's open door policy is sacrosanct."

German Foreign Minister Bell Burke said at the meeting that Germany will approve applications from Sweden and Finland through a fast-track process.

　　Although most NATO members have expressed support for the two countries to join NATO, Finland and Sweden's "path to the treaty" may not be smooth.

On the 14th, the foreign ministers of Finland and Sweden, who participated in the NATO foreign ministers' meeting for the first time, held three-way talks with the Turkish foreign minister Cavusoglu. The content of the talks was not made public.

However, Cavusoglu slammed Sweden and Finland's support for the PKK as "unacceptable and outrageous" ahead of the meeting.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said recently that the two countries "must stop allowing this terrorist organization to exist in Europe."

According to Agence France-Presse, Turkey's remarks "threw cold water" on Fenri's "entry into the treaty", which is supported by most NATO members including the United States.

A 'historic reorganization' in Europe?

　　"This is a 'historic reorganization' in the European continent." The Associated Press said that since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the public opinion of the two "neutral countries", Sweden and Finland, has undergone a fundamental change.

　　CNN said that once the two countries joined NATO, the European security map would be redrawn, which was unimaginable before and would have "significant consequences" for Russia.

According to the report, the current land border between Russia and the five NATO member states is about 755 miles (1 mile is about 1.6 kilometers). doubled.

In addition, the joining of the two countries will also expand NATO's military strength, bringing its influence further into the Arctic region, which will be increasingly important in the future economy and geostrategy.

　　"The Baltic Sea will become NATO's inland sea," Latvian Foreign Minister Linkevis was quoted as saying by the Financial Times.

　　For Russia, Finland and Switzerland joined NATO, which further extended NATO's strategic encirclement and deterrence against Russia.

Russia originally tried to relieve NATO's approaching strategic threat from the west through a special military operation against Ukraine, but the threat from the west has not been eliminated, and Russia will face new threats from the north.

In particular, St. Petersburg, Russia's second largest city, is only 170 kilometers away from the NATO border, and Russia's most important economic center is completely exposed to the threat of NATO.

This is not only an "unbearable weight" for Russia, but it will also make Russia face the strategic dilemma of being attacked from both sides, which is a huge challenge to Russia's military power.

Some analysts say that for an overwhelmed Russia, the most effective means may be nuclear deterrence.

　　On the 14th, Fingrid, the Finnish power operator, said that Russia had stopped supplying electricity to Finland from the early morning of that day.

Since imports from Russia only account for 10 percent of Finland's needs, Finland "could fill the gap by increasing imports from Sweden," the operator said.

The Russian power company said that the suspension of power supply to Finland was because Finland has been "in arrears with electricity bills".

　　Finland clearly understands the possible Russian reaction.

Finnish President Niinisto took the initiative to call Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 14th.

The Finnish president's office said the call was "a call from Finland ... direct and frank. We did not provoke (Putin) and it was important to avoid tensions".

Putin's response seemed calm.

The Kremlin said Putin said it would be "a mistake" for Finland to abandon its military neutrality because Finland's security was not threatened in any way.

　　"Once Finland and Sweden join NATO, Russia will not fail to respond." Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Glushko said more clearly on the 14th, although it is too early to talk about measures to redeploy nuclear weapons near the two countries, but Finland When Rui became a member of NATO, he "effectively gave up non-nuclear status".

While the two countries have been the world's most aggressive advocates for the prohibition and elimination of nuclear weapons for decades, NATO is a nuclear-armed military alliance.

If NATO pushes nuclear forces and facilities to the Russian border, Russia will take adequate precautionary measures.

　　Finnish Foreign Minister Haavisto said on the 14th that Finland's security situation was very tense in the "gray period (from submission of application to formal accession)" before joining NATO.

He said NATO had "declared that it is essential to unequivocally protect Finland's security" during this period.

Under NATO's charter, an applicant country will not be protected by NATO's Article 5 collective defense commitments until it is approved as a full member.

Joining NATO 'runs against peace'

　　At present, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been going on for more than 80 days, and the West is pressing against Russia step by step.

The G7 foreign ministers' meeting issued a joint statement in Germany on the 14th, saying that it will further increase sanctions against Russia and continue to provide military and economic support for Ukraine.

Backed by the West, Ukrainian Defense Minister Reznikov announced plans to mobilize 1 million citizens to take part in the confrontation with Russia.

Ukrainian military intelligence chief Budanov even claimed in an interview with British Sky News on the 14th that the Ukrainian war may reach a "breaking point" in August and "end with Russia's defeat before the end of the year."

　　Medvedev, vice chairman of the Russian Federation Security Council, posted on social media on the 15th that the G7 will continue to fight a "proxy war" with Russia instead of solving the people's energy and food problems.

He cautioned that the G7 statement "forgot to mention Russia's strategic nuclear capabilities."

"Russia Today" TV quoted the retired Major General Mikhailov of the Russian Federal Security Service as saying on the 15th that the Ukrainian government, which is controlled by the West, chose the path of military settlement of the conflict. In fact, one million people are just cannon fodder, "only the fate of its people" That's what an indifferent government would do."

　　At the same time, more and more ordinary people in Europe are worried that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine will continue or even expand.

On the 14th, Sweden's "Say No to NATO" organization launched a demonstration against joining NATO in the capital Stockholm, attracting many people to participate.

The group believes the application to join NATO is sloppy, wrong and potentially fatal.

The group said the government's main task should be "to ensure the independence of the country and to maintain the peace, and joining NATO is the opposite of that".

　　Yossi Salamo, leader of the Finnish Left Alliance, also warned a few days ago: "Don't make decisions on impulse, there are no shortcuts without risk in the world. We must consider all the ways to solve the problem, and what it may bring. negative impact.”

　　[Global Times special correspondent in Sweden and Canada, Yin Miaotao, short room Chen Kangliu Yupeng]