Officials have reportedly listed the ‘threat’ of Russia as a reason for joining the US-led military bloc
FILE PHOTO: A soldier during a military exercise in Niinisalo, Finland, May 2022. © Alessandro Rampazzo / AFP
The draft bill on Finland’s NATO membership contains no restrictions on the bloc’s bases and deployment of nuclear weapons on its soil to deter Russia, Finnish newspaper Iltalehti reported on Wednesday, citing foreign policy and security sources.
According to Iltalehti, Finland’s bill on NATO membership is “practically ready” and will be submitted for comments in two weeks.
The draft considers nuclear weapons to be an important part of the bloc’s deterrence against Russia. Sources cited by the outlet say it would be difficult to create a defense plan for Finland in NATO if, for example, nuclear-capable bombers cannot be sent into the country’s airspace.
Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto stated this month that Helsinki has received assurances from the US, Britain, and “key European countries” that the alliance will come to Finland’s aid even before it joins the military bloc.
“I would believe that any direct threat to Finland would also get help from these partners, even though we are not yet members of NATO,” the minister said.
US Ambassador to Finland Douglas Hickey was quoted by Politico last month as saying he is confident Finland and Sweden will be in NATO by the end of the year.
A historically non-aligned country, Finland, along with neighboring Sweden, applied to join NATO following the launch of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine in February. The bloc formally invited both nations to become members in late June.
Accession will be finalized only after ratification by the organization’s 30 member states. So far, 28 NATO countries have ratified the membership of both Sweden and Finland, with Türkiye and Hungary yet to do so.
Earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking at a press conference in Prague, said that “Finland is not a country where terrorists are roaming freely,” but Sweden is “a place where terror is rampant.”
On October 22, Turkish state-run news outlet Anadolu Agency reported that Finland was preparing to send a delegation to the country on Tuesday. According to the outlet, the talks focused on the extradition of Kurdish militants, as this is a key concern for Ankara.
In June, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO would only increase tensions between Russia and the West.
