Finland can apply to join NATO in weeks, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Wednesday after a government report concluded that joining the Alliance would increase security in the region.
The country, which successfully fought the Soviet invasion during World War II and has been neutral ever since, has long refused to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization due to a lack of public support for the move.
However, since Russia invaded Ukraine, polls have shown that support for membership has risen to more than 60% from below 20%. Most political parties in Helsinki now also agree that Finland should become a member in order to strengthen its security.
“We must be prepared for any action by Russia… There is no other way to have security guarantees than under NATO deterrence and common defense guaranteed by NATO Article 5,” Marin told reporters in Stockholm, citing the alliance. an article that says that an attack on one member should be considered an attack on all.
Ms Marin, who stood by her Swedish counterpart, Magdalena Anderson, said the decision would be made within weeks. “Everything changed when Russia invaded Ukraine … I think the attitudes of the people in Finland, also in Sweden, have changed and changed very dramatically because of Russia’s actions,” Ms Marin said.
Finland shares a border of more than 800 miles with Russia, which will become NATO’s most open eastern flank if the country becomes a member.
Sweden, which has been neutral for more than 200 years, is considering the same move.
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