Today, Stockholm and Helsinki, at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, will jointly submit their candidacies for membership in NATO.
The decision was announced yesterday at a joint press conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö in Stockholm by Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson:
“Sweden and Finland have agreed to move hand in hand through this whole process and tomorrow we are going to apply for NATO membership together. This is a strong signal that we will be united in the future.”
Both countries want to cross the threshold of NATO as soon as possible. On Tuesday, Sauli Niinistö told the Swedish parliament, during his visit to Stockholm, that he is optimistic and hopes that both Finland and Sweden will be able to enlist the support of Ankara, despite objections from her side:
“I am confident that through constructive negotiations the situation will be resolved.”
Dmitry Medvedev, former President of Russia and longtime ally of Vladimir Putin, formerly reacted to the news that Finland and Sweden are even closer to joining NATO: “The conflict could escalate into a nuclear war.”
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