“Putin’s Security Guarantees” Have Made Finland Consider Joining NATO

The Russian Foreign Ministry, as usual, threatened “consequences.”

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin, in their New Year addresses to citizens, stressed that Finland retains the right to apply to NATO at any time for admission to this military-political alliance.

Prime Minister's Address

Prime Minister Marin said that every country has the right to choose its own security policy. “We have learned the lessons of history, and we will not give up the right to freedom of choice,” she said.

Sanna Marin
Prime Minister of Finland

Finland has the option to join NATO. We must have this freedom of choice, since every country has the right to decide matters related to national security. This right underlies European security and OSCE principles.

The Finnish prime minister also noted that the government will continue cooperating with the EU on security matters.

President's Address

In his New Year address to citizens, Niinistö also said the country will join the North Atlantic alliance if it wants to, despite Russia's demands that the bloc not expand up to its borders.

Sauli Niinistö
President of Finland

Finland's freedom of choice and action also includes the possibility of a military alliance and applying for NATO membership if we decide so.

Data from previous polls show that 40% of the Finnish population is against joining NATO, while 26% are in favor. Notably, support for joining NATO among Finns began to gradually grow after Russia's occupation of Ukraine's Crimea and parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. 

Reactions from the Kremlin

These statements come against the backdrop of reports of a possible invasion of Ukrainian territory by Russian troops and Russia's demands that NATO not expand up to Russia's borders.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said last week that the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO would have “serious military and political consequences that will require an adequate response from the Russian side.”

Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded guarantees that the Finnish state, as he had similarly demanded of Ukraine, would not join NATO.

A Kremlin statement said Putin wants so-called “international legal security guarantees” that would rule out any further expansion of NATO to the East.