• The year in which NATO came out of the 'coma', grew and recovered its essence
  • Vesa Vasara interview: "Our accession to NATO is Putin's doing"

"Today is a truly historic day, a vital day for the Atlantic Alliance, for security, for all of us. I am tempted to say that it is the only thing for which we can be grateful to Vladimir Putin. We are already 31, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us." With these words of the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, with this idea, NATO today officially welcomed Finland in a discreet ceremony in Brussels, at the headquarters, in which the national flag has been raised and in which the allies have wanted to make it clear that the process will not be complete until Sweden can celebrate the same.

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Starting today, 31 flags will fly together, a symbol of our unity and solidarity. Accession is good for Finland, it is good for Nordic security and it is good for NATO as a whole. I am deeply proud to welcome Finland as a full member of our Alliance and I also look forward to welcoming Sweden as soon as possible. Putin wanted to close our doors and today we show the world that he failed, that aggression and intimidation do not work. Instead of less NATO, it has achieved the opposite, and our door remains firmly open," said Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine under all kinds of excuses, lies and pretexts, such as the threat posed to its security by Kiev's desire to join NATO. Putin's ironic solution was to occupy the country, end its sovereignty and thus bring Russia de facto to the very border of the EU and the organization. He hoped with his campaign, his threats and his diplomatic pressure to break NATO, generate division and exploit weaknesses. What it has achieved is more spending on Defense, that two countries historically reluctant to join, such as Sweden and Finland, changed their minds and that in just 404 days the fastest accession process in history has been closed, with which Russia now has 1,300 kilometers more land border with its enemy. twice as many as until Monday.

"Today is a great day for my country," said President Sauli Niinisto, who attended the ceremony in person, which coincides with the 74th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the signing of the Washington Treaty, and expressed his relief. This Sunday the country had an election, everything indicates that there will be a change of government and it will be up to the next one to decide if it wants troops from its partners, international bases, what kind of systems to house or what to do in the face of nuclear weapons.

Finland and Sweden applied for membership last May, after public opinion in both countries took an extraordinary turn. The Finnish case is, if possible, the most striking, because during the Cold War its vicinity with the USSR forced it to a subordinate role, with more than uncomfortable moments and with Moscow playing a key role in its foreign policy, but also the national one. In June, at the Madrid Summit, all the Allies invited them to join, after Turkey lifted the veto it had put on both.

Since then, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accepted Helsinki, but not Stockholm. On June 1, the new Swedish legislation will enter into force, which may address some of the Turkish obsessions with Turkish exiles in the country, whom it accuses of terrorism and of financing attacks on its territory from the EU. The Government has given the guarantees it can, but has reiterated that it cannot force the hand of the judges nor can it go against its Constitution to grant the extraditions requested. So Erdogan continues to keep his finger on track.

The Alliance's hope is that all 32 members will be ready for the next summit, in Lithuania in July, but it will be almost impossible. Next month there are elections in Turkey, a new parliament must be formed and ratification procedures take time. In addition, Hungary, always conflicting in foreign affairs, has not wanted to ratify Sweden either. Its Parliament gave the green light to Finland a few days ago, after dizzying the partridge for six months, and Orban's blackmail, which brings EU fights to the NATO table, does not cease. A good example of these dynamics is that Finland has confirmed on Tuesday, when its accession was already certain, that it will join the complaint that the EU and other countries are filing against Orban for the violation of the rights of the LGTBI collective. Something that until now could not for fear of reprisals.

Having separated the candidacy of the two Nordic countries has not been easy or an easy drink. In summer the message is that they would go hand in hand, but when it became clear that the Swedish road was stuck, a debate arose within the organization. There are those who believe that a wrong message is sent, because before there was more force to pressure Erdogan and Orban. Others, on the other hand, prefer Finland, the nearest neighbour, to be covered as soon as possible by the umbrella of Article 5 and mutually assured defence. Because Moscow has already warned that the decision will have consequences and that it will take measures to ensure its security.

"Today is a great day, but we are going to make sure that Sweden also becomes a full member. All Allies agreed to invite them and all have signed the Protocol of Accession. What remains as far as Sweden is concerned is ratification in parliaments, I trust that will happen soon. I met with President Erdogan a few weeks ago, I also spoke to him on the phone recently and we agreed to restart the process, the meetings or the permanent registration mechanism, the meetings of Finland, Sweden and Turkey to ensure also that we can move forward in Sweden's ratification," said Stoltenberg.

  • Finland
  • NATO
  • Sweden
  • Turkey
  • Russia
  • Hungary
  • Lithuania
  • Ukraine
  • Vladimir Putin
  • Josep Borrell
  • Europe
  • War Ukraine Russia
  • Articles Pablo R. Suanzes

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