On the eve of meeting, in Washington (USA), with President Joe Biden, the President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö, asked the Finns for “calm”. On a communiqué released today (3), Niinistö warns that “the security environment is undergoing rapid and extreme changes” and that, “in the midst of an acute crisis, it is important to keep a cool head and carefully assess the impact of possible future changes”. for national security.
Although it does not contain any mention of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the presidential message was interpreted as an expression of caution in the face of a debate that has been gaining momentum in recent times in the country: the hypothesis of Finland relinquishing its status as a neutral country – that is, one that is not part of military alliances – and apply to join NATO.
“Our security environment is undergoing rapid and extreme changes. I fully understand the concern of the Finns and the need to react to the situation. However, in the midst of an acute crisis, it is particularly important to keep a cool head and carefully assess the impact of past and possible future changes on our security – without hesitation, but carefully.” ), met with the President and Vice-President of the Finnish Parliament, the commander of the national military defense forces and leaders of political parties to discuss the effects of the war in Ukraine on Finnish security and foreign policy.
An search commissioned by the public communication company Yle pointed out that 53% of Finns support Finland’s entry into NATO, while 28% disapprove of the proposal and 19% are unsure of the path the country should follow. The search began on February 23, the day before Russian troops invaded Ukraine.
Among the justifications he presented for attacking Ukraine, the Russian President Vladimir Putin, he even cited Ukrainian demonstrations in support of the country’s accession to NATO. And the day after declaring war, the Kremlin threatened Sweden and, in particular, Finland if the two countries decide to join NATO.
“We consider the Finnish government’s commitment to a military policy of non-alignment to be an important factor in ensuring security and stability in Northern Europe. Finland’s accession to NATO would have serious military and political repercussions,” said a spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova – statement that the ministry reproduced soon after, on social networks.
Although neutral, Finland and Sweden condemn Russian military aggression against Ukraine and, breaking with traditions, have decided to supply weapons to the Ukrainian resistance forces.
Meeting
In a second statement released on Thursday, the Finnish presidential office said that during his “working visit” to the United States, Niinistö will meet with US President Joe Biden at the White House, to discuss the Russian attack on Ukraine and the effects of the war on European security.
According to the cabinet, the two representatives will also deal with cooperation between the two countries in other areas. Niinistö also has scheduled meetings with “various political actors”, although the forecast is that he will remain in US territory for just one day.
