Turkey has lifted its delay on Finland’s bid to join the Western defensive alliance, NATO, citing the Nordic nation’s support for terrorists as the reason behind the delay. Finland’s neighbor, Sweden, which applied to join NATO in May 2021, is still facing similar accusations and being blocked by Ankara. Any expansion of NATO requires the support of all its members. However, Finland will now be formally admitted to NATO at its next summit scheduled to take place in July in Lithuania.
Following the Turkish vote, the Finnish government stated that joining NATO would enhance the country’s security and improve stability and security in the region. Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in a statement that as allies, they will defend each other and give and receive security. She added that Finland stands with Sweden now and in the future and supports its application. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan approved Finland’s bid earlier this month, lauding the country’s “authentic and concrete steps” on Turkish security.
Finland is a country with a 1,340km border with Russia and one of the most powerful arsenals of artillery pieces in Western Europe. It is abandoning its neutrality and joining NATO in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Sweden, which also applied to join NATO, abandoned its longstanding commitment to neutrality but does not share a border with Russia.
For Russian President Vladimir Putin, Finland’s accession to NATO represents a significant strategic setback. Putin had sent his army into Ukraine last year with the expectation that it would check NATO’s expansion and weaken the West. However, the move achieved the opposite of his expectations. Finland is now set to become the seventh NATO country on the Baltic Sea, further isolating Russia’s coastal access at St Petersburg and its small exclave of Kaliningrad.
While the Russian foreign ministry condemned Finland’s decision, calling it ill-considered and based on Russophobic hysteria, Finnish public opinion has radically changed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Support for NATO membership jumped from an underwhelming one-third of Finns to almost 80% overnight last spring. Finland believes that joining NATO will increase its chances of not being attacked by Russia.
In conclusion, Turkey has lifted the block on Finland’s bid to join NATO, which is expected to enhance the country’s security, strengthen the alliance and improve stability and security in the region. With Finland set to become the seventh NATO country on the Baltic Sea, Russia’s access to the area will be further isolated, marking a significant strategic setback for President Putin.
