Finland almost certainly to apply for NATO membership, says Swedish Foreign Minister
Finland will almost certainly apply for NATO membership, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde told Swedish television on Sunday.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has forced both Sweden and its eastern neighbor Finland to revisit beliefs that military neutrality is the best means of ensuring national security.
"We know more or less that they (Finland) will apply for NATO membership. And that changes the whole balance… If one of our countries joins, we know tensions will rise," Linde told public broadcaster SVT.
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Asked if he thinks Finland will join NATO, Linde said:
"I think you can say that quite safely."
Both Sweden and Finland are expected to make a decision on whether to join the military alliance in the coming weeks.
Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said on Friday that he expected Finland and Sweden to make similar decisions at the same time.
