This past week, Turkey indicated that it may consider the Nato applications of Finland and Sweden at different times. Ankara has cited more problems with approving Sweden’s application, referring to its alleged harbouring of individuals that Turkey sees as terrorists, and a recent spate of anti-Turkish and anti-Muslim demonstrations and incidents in the country.
After months of insisting that the two Nordic countries, who applied for membership together last May, should also join at the same time, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg signalled a change of tone.
“The main question is not whether Finland and Sweden are ratified together. The main question is that they are both ratified as full members as soon as possible,” he said in Brussels on Tuesday.
Accession requires unanimous consent from the 30 current allies, with all but Hungary and Turkey having done so.
Finnish President Sauli Niinistö noted later that the signals from Nato had changed, that Turkey's decision is in its own hands, and that the goal remains the simultaneous membership of Finland and Sweden.
“The change in wording is undoubtedly also in preparation for a scenario in which Turkey and Hungary might only ratify Finland's membership. Personally, I agree with the view that the progress in the membership processes is more important than their simultaneity,” the chair of the Finnish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Jussi Halla-aho (Finns), said on Saturday. He was interviewed on the Yle current-affairs programme Ykkösaamu.
A day earlier, Halla-aho announced that the Foreign Affairs Committee had unanimously approved a report calling for Nato membership and that the full legislature is to vote on the matter at the end of February. Niinistö is then expected to sign it, completing the accession process from the Finnish standpoint before April's parliamentary elections.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned the West this week that Ukraine's ability to defend itself is threatened by a shortage of ammunition.
“Western countries must simultaneously supply Ukraine with heavy weapons in accordance with Nato standards and speed up their ammunition production. The existing stocks will soon be used up,” said Halla-aho.
“Russia's goal is genocide"
Ukraine has also called on the West to transition to a military economy in order to counter Russia. Halla-aho said he understood this demand.
“Russia poses a threat to all of Europe, and Europe should take this threat seriously. It is not enough to provide symbolic support to Ukraine; rather the support must be quantitatively and qualitatively sufficient to beat Russia. This requires public money for the defence industry in Europe,” he said.
Halla-aho also commented on growing reports of abductions of Ukrainian children to Russia.
“Russia's goal in Ukraine is genocide and the end of Ukraine's existence as a state and a nation. Kidnapping children is a consistent part of this campaign,” the former Finns Party chair said.