Finland and Sweden joining NATO will help deter Russia, says security analysts
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson, who will be speaking at a press conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in Helsinki, Finland, on Wednesday, signed a security pact with Finland just before the European nation’s decision on whether to apply for NATO membership.
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A decision by Finland and Sweden to join NATO will improve deterrence against Russia in northern Europe and increase the security of the US-led military alliance, an analyst from the Atlantic Council told CNBC on Thursday.
Her comments came just before Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced that their country should apply to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization “without delay”.
“NATO membership would strengthen Finland’s security. As a member of NATO, Finland would strengthen the entire defense alliance,” they said in a joint statement.
A similar message from Sweden is expected later this week.
“Sweden and Finland join NATO will increase deterrence in the region because of the assets they will provide to the Alliance. And [because of] the ability to plan for northern Europe’s security in a comprehensive way “, says Atlantic Council’s Northern Europe head Anna Weislander.
Membership of the political and military alliance will be a historic decision for Finland, which shares a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia. The Nordic nation adopted neutrality after its defeat by the Soviet Union in World War II. Nor has Sweden been a member of any military alliances for more than 200 years.
Weislander said both countries were well prepared to face the repeated political and military threats from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who oppose their membership.
“President Putin and Russia have already stated several times that it will have military and political consequences,” she said of the “Capital Connection”, adding that she expected more such warnings in the coming days.
“We have prepared. We have moved military installations … and expect [Russian] cyber attacks, electronic interference or more airspace intrusion, ”she said, noting that both Sweden and Finland were members of the European Union.
“Sweden and Finland are solid democracies with sophisticated economies and will therefore also contribute to the alliance’s underlying values,” Weislander said.
The armed forces in both countries also enjoy high compatibility with NATO member countries, she added.
“Interoperability” with NATO members
“Finland is already a security provider. It has a strong military, it is small but technically sophisticated. It can not only defend itself despite a long border with Russia but it has also, alongside Sweden, worked with NATO on international assignments from the Balkans. “To Afghanistan. And they’ve practiced a lot,” Weislander said.
Both countries are “operational” as NATO members, she said.
“[They] have been working with NATO since the mid-1990s on international missions, “said the analyst, quoting them in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Libya.” They have also participated in advanced exercises with NATO, such as the Trident Juncture. And there were hundreds of other exercises. “
“So their interoperability is not a problem,” Weislander said.
Sweden and Finland also cooperate a lot on defense with each other based on NATO standards, she added.
If both countries join NATO, this would signal an “open door” NATO policy, Weislander said.
“When countries are ready to join and can contribute to security throughout the transatlantic area, then [NATO] will also be ready to receive new members. “There will be no closed door for NATO,” she said.