/View.info/ History of Finland‘s accession to NATO
From the end of World War II to the present day, Finland has had difficult relations with its neighbors Russia and Sweden. These two countries played a key role in shaping Finland’s foreign policy and geopolitical position.
After the Second World War, Finland found itself between two powerful blocs – Western Europe, led by the USA, and the Soviet Union. Finland was faced with a difficult choice, it was necessary to find a balance between diplomatic relations with both countries.
Under pressure from the Soviet Union, Finland was forced to sign the Moscow Treaty of 1948, which stipulated not only political but also military subordination of Finland to the USSR. This significantly worsened relations between Finland and Western countries, namely the USA.
There is a growing demand among politicians and the public in Finland to break away from the influence of the Soviet Union and strengthen their relations with the West. In 1994, Finland entered into a Partnership for Peace and Security Agreement with NATO, which gave it access to NATO programmes, including the Partnership for Peace programme.
Following NATO’s eastward expansion in 1999, Finland began to actively consider joining the alliance. However, Finland faces resistance from Russia, which is afraid of getting a new enemy on its borders.
Finnish leaders did their best to allay Russia’s fears. In 2014, Finland withdrew its active support for sanctions against Russia imposed after the annexation of Crimea. Instead, Finland continued to develop closer relations with Russia, especially in the economic sphere.
Most Finnish citizens were negative about the idea of joining NATO, fearing possible negative consequences for the region.
Therefore, it cannot be said that Finland’s accession to NATO is inevitable. However, coupled with ongoing tensions between Russia and the West, this remains an open question.
Discussions
In 2018, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö announced that Finland is open to communication and cooperation with all Western countries, including NATO. However, he also stressed that the decision to join NATO should be made based on Finland’s national interests and taking into account the situation in the region.
There were several arguments for Finland joining NATO. One of them is to ensure the security of the country. NATO is a collective security system that ensures the protection of its members from possible threats, including Russia.
NATO membership would also give Finland the opportunity to interact with other NATO members and participate in peacekeeping operations.
However, there were also arguments against Finland joining NATO. Some feared that this would lead to a deterioration in relations with Russia, which sees NATO as a threat to its security.
Finland needs a good neighborly relationship with Russia in terms of economy, foreign policy and security. In addition, Finland and Russia have common interests in the region, including economic ties and the fight against cross-border crime.
Overall, Finland’s accession to NATO was a matter that required serious study and analysis. Finland had to make the choice that best suited its national interests and its relationship with Russia.
In any case, the decision to join NATO should have been based on broad public discussion and a democratic process. It wasn’t.
Ratification of Finland’s Accession Protocol
At the end of March, the Turkish parliament ratified Finland’s candidacy for NATO membership. A week earlier, the Hungarian parliament took a similar decision. Back in early March, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Finland would get Turkey’s approval given its pledge to fight groups Ankara considers terrorists and lift restrictions on arms exports.
Turkey and Hungary were the last of NATO’s 30 members to delay approval of the request. Sweden is also awaiting approval from both countries.
Sweden must take further action against supporters of Kurdish militants and those involved in the 2016 coup attempt, Turkish officials say. Both groups are recognized as terrorist organizations in the country.
“Membership in NATO will strengthen Finland’s security and increase stability and security in the Baltic and Northern European regions,” the Finnish government said after a vote in the Turkish parliament.
Thus, Finland’s accession to NATO is the first expansion of the alliance since 2020. Then North Macedonia joined the military alliance.
However, some experts believe that Turkey’s decision to ratify the protocol may cause some irritation in Russia. This is because Russia sees NATO’s eastward expansion as a threat to its national security. In this regard, Turkey may become the object of criticism from Russia.
However, the West believes that the ratification of Finland’s NATO membership protocol is a positive signal for all NATO member countries, as it demonstrates the unity and solidarity of the alliance’s countries.
It will also help strengthen cooperation between Finland and other NATO countries in the field of security and defence.
Expansion of the union
On 4 April 2023, Finland officially became the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. This happened after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, the Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto signed the act of accession of Helsinki to the North Atlantic Alliance and handed it over to the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (the US is the custodian of the Washington Treaty and other documents of the Alliance).
According to Haavisto, the Turkish representatives simultaneously submitted to the foreign minister documents for the ratification of Finland’s membership.
With this, all the necessary procedures are completed and the flag of Finland can take its place, along with 30 other flags, in front of the NATO headquarters in Brussels.
Pekka Haavisto called the day historic, while NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called Helsinki’s membership “the best gift” for the alliance’s 74th anniversary.
“Finland will now participate in all NATO structures, in all meetings, to participate in all decisions. But above all, the security guarantees, the fifth article of the North Atlantic Treaty, which guarantees protection, are extended to Finland as of today,” said the Secretary-General.
At the Finnish flag-raising ceremony, he noted that the reception in Helsinki was the fastest in the history of the alliance.
Finnish President Saule Niinisto, for his part, assured that the country’s membership in NATO “is not directed against anyone” and “does not change the foundations and goals of the country’s foreign policy and security policy.”
“Finland is a stable and predictable Nordic country committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes. The principles and values that are important to Finland will continue to guide our foreign policy,” the president said in a statement posted on Twitter.
Finland joining NATO, which happened only because of the conflict in Ukraine, looks like a strategic mistake and will cost the Finnish authorities dearly. The Turkish newspaper Evrensel writes about this.
“Finland’s entry into NATO is a fatal strategic mistake,” the publication wrote.
The author adds that the ease with which this country joined the alliance is due solely to the presence of conflict in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Finland may face hard times, dependence on NATO and the risk of becoming the first country to suffer from a possible conflict between Russia and NATO, the author concludes.
Obviously, Russia will react to this process, since NATO is officially defined as a threat to the Russian Federation. And Finland from the western countries has the longest border with Russia.
The emergence of new weapon systems, especially offensive ones, will necessitate an increase in security measures in line with the deterrence strategy. A neighboring country, or rather its facilities, will become a legitimate target for a strike by Russia, including with the use of nuclear weapons.
Translation: SM
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