Finland, Sweden must move now because Putin is worried about Ukraine
SALZBURG, Austria – Finland and Sweden must join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) now, while Russia’s Putin is focusing on Ukraine, the alliance’s former head told CNBC.
The two Nordic countries have considered joining NATO in the wake of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Becoming a NATO member would mean a sharp reversal in their policy towards the Kremlin after years of a neutral attitude. Finland and Sweden will announce their plans in the coming days.
“When it comes to Finland and Sweden, I think there is a possibility [the] two countries to join, right now because Putin is busy elsewhere. He can not do anything about it, says Anders Rasmussen, former NATO Secretary General, to CNBC on Saturday.
Russia has repeatedly stated its opposition to NATO enlargement, citing one of the reasons for its invasion of Ukraine.
In addition, the Kremlin has also said that if Stockholm and Helsinki were to join the alliance, they would have to “rebalance the situation”.
It is unclear how the Kremlin would react if both nations went ahead with their memberships.
However, their accession would lead to a doubling of the current border between NATO and Russia and significantly add more military power to the alliance.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has previously said that both nations would be warmly welcomed.
But it could take “a few months” before their membership would become official, Rasmussen told CNBC.
“Even if it is considered an urgent procedure, and it is, it will take a few months because you have to go through 30 parliaments before it can be ratified across NATO,” he said.
NATO currently has 30 members, including the United States.
“It will take a few months and during that period, both Finland and Sweden could potentially be exposed to Russian threats or even threats, and that is why we must guarantee their security,” Rasmussen said, “as if they were already members of NATO. “
These security guarantees would need to come from individual members of NATO, as the Alliance’s famous Article 5 – which states that an attack on a NATO member is an attack on everyone – would only apply to Finland and Sweden once their applications have been ratified by all 30 NATO members.
Now it is quite clear that being a member of NATO means Article Five, and just being friends with the United States does not.
Ivan Krastev
Political analyst
Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has led to a change in defense policy in Europe. Countries have announced much more spending on their military capabilities, sent weapons to Ukraine and – in the case of Finland and Sweden – have led to more public support for joining NATO.
“You also have to understand Swedish and Finnish [potential] decision was a message that there are no neutral countries on the border with Russia. And this is a new reality, even during the Cold War it was not like this, Ivan Krastev, a political analyst, told CNBC on Friday.
“Before [Russia’s invasion of Ukraine] it was not clear what is the difference between being a member of NATO and just being friends with the United States. Now it is quite clear that being a member of NATO means Article Five, and just being friends with the United States does not. And that is why Finland and Sweden should go from friends to members, he added.