Prime Minister Sanna Marin says that Finland will decide on a NATO application within a few weeks, not months. She hopes Sweden and Finland will make the same decision.
“It would be good if we made the same choice in the future, but that is not a requirement. But it would be very good to make the same choice and have the same timeline,” Marin said when she met her Swedish colleague Magdalena Andersson in Stockholm on Wednesday.
“We must analyze the situation to see what is best for Sweden’s security and the Swedish people in this new situation, and one should not rush into it. One should do this very seriously. This is how I work as Sweden’s Prime Minister,” Andersson said when she held a press conference with Marin.
On Wednesday, the Finnish National Assembly will be presented a security analysis by the government, which addresses the advantages and disadvantages of NATO membership. The discussion is set to begin right after Easter, according to Marin.
Andersson wants to join NATO
Earlier in the day, unnamed sources told the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet that Andersson wants Sweden to become a member of NATO and that the plan is to submit an application in connection with the NATO meeting in Madrid at the end of June.
The discussions between the two leaders were about how they could strengthen the security of their countries and how they could help Ukraine.
“We have different alternatives, and none are risk-free,” Andersson said.
“The difference between being a partner and a member is very clear. There is no other security guarantee like NATO’s Article 5,” she said.
Article 5 contains a principle that considers an attack on a NATO country an attack on the entire Alliance.
In both Finland and Sweden, the NATO debate has intensified as a result of the war in Ukraine.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
Do you have a news tip for Norway Today? We want to hear it. Get in touch at [email protected]
Be the first to comment on "Finnish PM Sanna Marin: Finland will decide on NATO application within a few weeks, not months"