Finland And Sweden Confirm Plans To Join NATO

Political leaders of Finland and Sweden officially confirmed their plans to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

• During a special joint press conference, PM Marin and President Niisto confirmed that Finland will seek NATO membership, with the decision expected to be confirmed by parliament in the coming days. Niisto conveyed the decision to Russia's President Putin in a phone call, noting that their conversation was calm and Putin's reaction was rather mild.
• Sweden followed soon after, as the ruling Social Democrats withdrew their opposition, clearing the path to a formal application. The decision to join the NATO marks a dramatic turn in Swedish history, breaking a 200-year tradition of military non-alignment, even as Stockholm will make reservations against hosting nuclear weapons or foreign bases on its soil.
• Sweden's Expressen cited sources noting that a special parliamentary session will be held Monday morning, with an emergency Cabinet meeting slated for the afternoon. Barring unforeseen circumstances, Sweden's application should be submitted without further ado. The timeline for Finland is expected to look similar, with potential for a coordinated submission.
• The admission of the two Nordic countries to the North Atlantic Alliance would be of great geostrategic importance. It would more than double the NATO's border with Russia and considerably boost the Alliance's deterrence abilities in the Baltic Sea region.
• Russia kept publicly threatening retaliatory steps and cut its supply of electricity to Finland over the weekend, citing alleged problems with payments. It also conducted drills using Su-27 fighters to repel a mock strike at the Kaliningrad exclave.