Calling the alliance a “tool of confrontation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peshkov told reporters that further NATO expansion “would not bring stability to the European continent.” Mr Peshkov’s remarks came a day after it was announced that US officials expected Finland to apply for membership as early as June, which Sweden would follow. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, aimed at discrediting the Ukrainian military and preventing the country from leading NATO to the Russian border, has prompted Scandinavians to consider joining the alliance. U.S. officials told the Times that NATO membership in both countries was discussed in a series of talks and meetings during meetings between the alliance’s foreign ministers last week. Earlier this month, the Kremlin warned Finland and Sweden not to join the alliance, saying Moscow would have to “rebalance the situation” with its own measures if it did. “If the two countries join, ‘we need to make our western side more sophisticated in terms of ensuring our security,’” Peskov told Sky News on April 7. Finnish Prime Minister Sana Marin said on April 2 that the country would soon decide whether to apply to join the 30-member US-led alliance. The prime minister of the Nordic nation, which shares an 830-mile border with Russia, said “Russia is not the neighbor we thought we were” after Moscow’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on February 24. The Nordic nation has never been a member of the defense alliance and, so far, has organized its own defense. But in the wake of Russia’s harsh military operation in Ukraine, public opinion has taken a sharp turn as the majority is now in favor of applying for membership in the alliance, according to opinion polls conducted by Finnish media. Alexander Stubb, Finland’s prime minister in 2014 and 2015, said last week that the country could formally apply to join the Cold War alliance as early as May. Tobias Baudin, secretary of Sweden’s ruling Social Democratic Party, has reportedly said he is reviewing his international security policy and will discuss whether to join the alliance. Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, however, had earlier rejected calls to consider joining NATO. “If Sweden had chosen to apply for NATO membership in the current situation, it would have further destabilized this region of Europe and increased tensions,” Anderson told reporters on March 8. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also said last week that the alliance would welcome the Scandinavians into its ranks with open arms if they decide to apply. “If they decide to apply, I expect all allies to welcome them,” Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels as NATO foreign ministers met to discuss the war in Ukraine. “We know they can easily join this alliance if they decide to apply.” Mr Stoltenberg said NATO member states might be ready to provide security guarantees to cover the two neutral countries from the moment they announce membership until finalization. “I’m sure we will find ways to address any concerns they may have about the period between a possible application and final ratification,” he said. Once a member of the pact, the Nordic countries will benefit from NATO’s defense clause, which makes it mandatory for all members to defend an attacking ally. The Independent has a proud campaign history for the rights of the most vulnerable and we first launched our “Welcome Refugees” campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and start this report on In the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we call on the government to move faster and faster to secure aid. To learn more about our Refugee Campaign, click here. To sign the application click here. If you would like to donate, click here for our GoFundMe page.
