Finnish Foreign Minister Peka Haavisto said on Thursday that the country, which shares a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia, would soon clarify the next steps regarding the possibility of applying for NATO membership. Local media reported that Finnish support for NATO membership had reached a high level following Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Speaking to CNBC’s Hadley Gamble on Friday, NATO’s Stoltenberg said Finland’s move to consider joining NATO’s military alliance was a “direct result” of Russia’s invasion of its neighbor on February 24. “The message from NATO and from me is that it is up to Finland to decide,” Stoltenberg said. “We will respect the decision regardless of the conclusion, but if Finland decides to apply for membership, I am sure that NATO allies will welcome them warmly – and we can very quickly make the decision to have them as an ally.” he added. Sweden has also signaled that it is open to reconsidering its non-aligned policy, as the war in Ukraine is causing a sharp rise in support for NATO membership. A series of polls in Sweden published in early March show that almost half now support NATO membership. Stoltenberg’s comments come shortly after a two-day meeting of foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, and as Russia continues to redeploy forces to eastern Ukraine. The Kremlin is believed to be preparing for an attack in the Donbas region in the coming days. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba on Thursday urged the military alliance to provide Kyiv with more weapons to defend itself against Russian forces.
“Weapons, guns and weapons”
Kuleba warned of further atrocities, such as the killing of civilians in Bukhara, unless Ukraine was quickly backed up by more military aid. Ukraine is not a member of NATO, but has received support from the alliance since the Russian invasion on February 24 – and many member states have already supplied arms to Kyiv. However, there are fears that supplying Ukraine with more weapons, especially heavier offensive equipment, such as tanks and fighter jets, could lead to an immediate confrontation between Russia and NATO. Speaking ahead of the ministerial meeting on Thursday, Kuleba said: “My agenda is very simple. It has only three issues. They are guns, guns and weapons.” He warned that the resistance by Ukrainian forces in recent weeks would be accompanied by “enormous sacrifices” in the absence of even greater support from NATO. NATO’s Stoltenberg on Friday refused to mention the specific types of weapons to be provided to Ukraine, citing “operational reasons”. However, he said the alliance would supply Kyiv with a “wide range” of both older and more modern weapons. Stoltenberg said NATO allies recognized the urgent need to offer further support to Ukraine.
