Xinhua News Agency, Stockholm, May 17 (International observation) Finland and Sweden want to join NATO, raising regional security risks
Xinhua News Agency reporter
Regarding Finland and Sweden’s decision to apply to join NATO, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on the 16th that “there is no problem” between Russia and Finland and Sweden, so Finland and Sweden’s joining NATO does not pose a direct threat to Russia, but NATO’s military infrastructure is on the territory of the two countries. The expansion of China will inevitably lead to a response from Russia.
Analysts pointed out that Finland and Sweden, two Nordic countries, applied to join NATO, abandoning their long-held policy of neutrality. Once NATO absorbs the two countries, it will undoubtedly intensify the confrontation with Russia, increase regional security risks, and make the European security situation more complicated.
Decided to apply to join
Finnish President Niinisto announced on the 15th that Finland will apply to join NATO, saying that this will “open a new era”. The Finnish parliament approved the decision on the 17th, taking the country’s application for NATO membership one step further.
The Swedish parliament held a special debate on the 16th, and six of the eight parties agreed to apply to join NATO. Swedish Prime Minister Andersson announced at a subsequent press conference that the Swedish government has decided to apply for NATO membership and will submit an application for membership with Finland in the next few days. Andersson expects it could take a year to formally become a NATO member.
According to the regulations, NATO must “unanimously agree” on the premise of 30 member states to admit new members. The United States, Britain and other countries tried their best to win over Finland and Sweden to join the organization. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on the 15th that if Finland and Sweden decide to apply for NATO membership, their membership will enhance NATO’s mutual security.
Finland and Sweden received separate written security support from Britain on the 11th, pledging to assist each other in various ways, possibly including military means, in the event of a disaster or attack. Swedish Foreign Minister Linde said after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Blinken earlier this month that the U.S. side said it was ready to provide Sweden with “safety insurance” during the waiting period for the contract.
arouse opposition
Finland and Sweden have long been considered buffer zones between Russia and the West. After the end of the Cold War, NATO has repeatedly tried to invite the two countries to join the treaty, but they have been rejected. This time, Finland and Sweden have abandoned their long-standing neutral policy, which has sparked doubts and opposition in the two countries.
Even if Finland does not target anyone as a NATO member, joining NATO will further aggravate regional tensions, Finnish Minister of Education Li Andersson, chairman of the Left Alliance, said in a blog post on the 12th. On the day Finland and Sweden decided to apply to join NATO, some people in the two countries staged protests against the decision.
Colonel Daniel David, who once served in NATO troops stationed in Germany, said in an interview with Swedish TV recently that Sweden has no reason to join NATO and should continue to remain neutral. “There is no indication that Sweden is at risk of being invaded, on the contrary, being a member of NATO increases the risk,” he said.
At the same time, there are voices within NATO against joining the two countries. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on the 13th that Turkey could not take a positive stance on Finland and Sweden’s plans to join NATO. On the 16th, he re-emphasized that Turkey would not agree to join NATO between the two countries.
increase security risk
Analysts pointed out that after Finland and Sweden join NATO, the length of the land border between Russia and NATO countries will almost double, the Baltic Sea will become the “NATO Inner Sea”, and Russia will be surrounded by NATO countries in the Baltic Sea region and the Arctic region. The originally complex and volatile regional situation will face more uncertainties, and regional security risks will increase.
Putin said at the Kremlin on the 16th that the expansion of NATO’s military infrastructure on the territory of the two countries will inevitably lead to a response from Russia. “The specific response depends on what kind of threat is posed to Russia.” Putin emphasized that the expansion of NATO is entirely a problem created by the United States’ diplomatic interests. NATO has become a foreign policy tool of a country, causing the international security situation to deteriorate.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov said on the 16th that Finland and Sweden’s decision to join NATO is another far-reaching and serious mistake. This move will not enhance the security of the two countries, but will only increase military tensions and reduce the predictability of the situation in the region.
Leonkov, a well-known Russian military expert, said that once Finland joins NATO, the land border between NATO and Russia will expand. This poses a threat to St. Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city, at the eastern end of the Gulf of Finland, and to the Gulf of Finland along the Russian trade route. Russia may revisit its Western Military District defenses and change the targeting of its strategic nuclear forces.
The non-governmental organization Finnish Peace Council pointed out on the 16th that military alliances will not increase security in Europe, but will lead to further escalation of military tensions; the main means to ensure Finland’s security is foreign policy and diplomatic activities, and joining the military alliance led by the United States has reduced the number of Finnish leeway; NATO’s admission of new members has split the world into military blocks, complicating the necessary negotiations and cooperation.
Suslov, deputy director of the Center for European and International Studies at the Russian State Higher School of Economics, pointed out that the entry of Finland and Sweden into NATO will also have a negative impact on the Arctic security situation, leading to the militarization of the Arctic region. (Participating reporters: He Miao, Chen Jing, Hu Xiaoguang, Fu Yiming)
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