Indeed, Finland, this country of 5.5 million inhabitants which shares 1,300 kilometers of borders with Russia, this week took a first step towards a candidacy for NATO, which it even hopes to double with Sweden. neighbor.
A member of the European Union since 1995, Finland is non-aligned militarily, while developing a stronger partnership with NATO. But the Finnish government has stressed that Moscow’s recent attitude “has brought about a fundamental change in the security environment and policy of Finland and Europe”.
Among the Finnish population, support for membership, which had stagnated around 20-25% for decades, has almost tripled to over 60%. In Parliament too, a clear majority is emerging. Among the deputies who have already made their position known, around 100 out of 200 are in favor of membership and only 12 are against, according to local media reports.
In recent weeks, the head of Finnish diplomacy has toured NATO member states to sound out their position. “Many of those I have spoken to understand that the open door policy cannot just be theoretical. It must exist in real life”, he noted. According to him, the procedure could take between four months and a year.
In recent weeks, Moscow has escalated warnings against Helsinki and Stockholm, and the latter indeed expect retaliatory measures, ranging from hybrid threats to cyberattacks and various attempts to destabilize the country.
Read also: Finland takes first step towards NATO candidacy