Germany's Scholz States Support For Swedish, Finnish NATO Membership

Hans von der Burchard at Politico tweets: "If Sweden and Finland decide to join NATO, "they can count on our support," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at presser with Swedish PM Magdalena Andersson and Finnish PM Sanna Marin. "Nobody can be sure that Russia won't break international law by force on another occasion." Scholz stressed further that already now, EU solidarity clause provides protection to Sweden and Finland: "Even in the period before such NATO membership is decided, they can always rely on Germany's support. As Europeans, we see ourselves obliged to do so anyway"."

• Comes as Finnish outlet Iltalehti reports that Finland could announce its application for membership as soon as 12 May, while Foreign Policy highlights that Finnish President Sauli Niinisto's 17 May visit to Stockholm could be used to make a joint declaration.
• At presser w/ Scholz, Marin states: "Finland and Sweden are facing important decisions regarding their own security. Russia's attack on Ukraine has dramatically changed our security environment, and that cannot be undone. We now see more clearly where Russia wants to take us, namely into a world with spheres of influence where the strongest have the last word. And Russia has shown very clearly that it is not committed to the basic principles of European security, just as it is not committed to the basic principles of international law."