Sweden, Finland Win U.S. Security Aid Pledge on Road to NATO

Nordic countries worry about Russian retaliation to entry bid

‘Various forms’ of security assurances pledged by U.S.



Sweden and Finland are starting to win assurances of help if threatened by Russia in the interim period between an expected application to join defense alliance NATO and an eventual entry.


The two Nordic countries, which began to seriously consider joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have worried of an insecure “gray period” on the doorstep of the bloc, before full membership unlocks its collective security guarantees. Russia has repeatedly warned both with potential consequences.

The U.S. is “ready to provide various forms of security assurances” to both countries, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said on Wednesday after talks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, D.C., according to public broadcaster SVT. Finland is expected to apply for entry before May 17, while Sweden’s stance is less clear.

Also on Wednesday, U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told reporters in Finland that “it’s inconceivable that Britain would not come to the support of Finland or Sweden if it was ever attacked,” regardless of what stage of the NATO entry process they are at, according to multiple media.

“We expect three types of intimidation or action,” former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb said in an interview on Bloomberg TV on Thursday. “One is hybrid, one is cyber and then one is information. The information war is already going on.”

Stubb mentioned posters that have appeared in the past days in the Russian capital, including outside the Swedish embassy, claiming Astrid Lindgren, the author of Pippi Longstocking, or Ingvar Kamprad, the father of IKEA, supported Nazis.

The assurances from the U.S. are not the same as security guarantees, Linde said, but they would mean that “it would be clear to Russia that if they conduct any negative activities toward Sweden, which they have threatened, the U.S. would not let that pass unnoticed, without doing anything.”

The two Nordic neighbors have repeatedly been told by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that they would be welcomed with “open arms” and a “quick process.”

“I’m also certain that we will be able to find arrangements for that interim period” between applications “and until the formal ratification is finalized in all 30 parliaments,” Stoltenberg said April 28. “I’m confident that there are ways to bridge that interim period in a way which is good enough and works for both Finland and Sweden.”

The “best security guarantee” would be to “keep the ratification process as short as possible,” Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin told reporters in Copenhagen on Wednesday. Other measures may include increased joint training exercises, which would put NATO troops on the ground in the two countries, and enhanced information sharing.

The Nordic nations are close partners to NATO, have highly compatible gear, and often train together with the alliance.

How Russia Pushed Finland and Sweden Toward NATO: QuickTake

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz this week sought to calm fears about the security risk on the path to membership, saying that as fellow Europeans, Sweden and Finland can “in any case always count on Germany’s support, independently of NATO membership and also during the period before it’s decided within NATO.”

Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, whose country is already a member, has spoken of a need for NATO to send “a strong security signal” when it welcomes the two applicants.



https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-11/ukraine-latest-war-affects-physical-gas-supplies-for-first-time

tonididdy:
This was the plan all along.
The West used one stone to kill 4 beds.
Very smart, very smart indeed
Make Russia the aggressor (enemy) and the gullible will come running for protection.


Hmmmmm..... World politics is something else

tonididdy:
This was the plan all along.
The West used one stone to kill 4 beds.
Very smart, very smart indeed
Make Russia the aggressor (enemy) and the gullible will come running for protection.


Hmmmmm..... World politics is something else

tonididdy:
This was the plan all along.
The West used one stone to kill 4 beds.
Very smart, very smart indeed
Make Russia the aggressor (enemy) and the gullible will come running for protection.


Hmmmmm..... World politics is something else

tonididdy:
This was the plan all along.
The West used one stone to kill 4 beds.
Very smart, very smart indeed
Make Russia the aggressor (enemy) and the gullible will come running for protection.


Hmmmmm..... World politics is something else

omis1:
the west forced pootin to invade ukraine I guess ? U pootin fan boys are just deranged

railone:


una ehn... make Russia the aggressor ke.

did anybody hold Russia hands to go and invade Ukraine?

People will take action and guys will try to find someone else to blame for it

ObamaMessi:
I thought u are pro-putin? If we tell u that this was a US-led plan u would say they are afraid of Russia, thanks goodness now u realize how the US-led West is smart and dangerous.

Pierocash:
Finland and Sweden don't like their economy and infrastructure. Ukraine got more than this assurance and today we all know the story, Ukraine is now a pariah state.

What are they always afraid of if truly they aren't been used by US and NATO for something sinister against Russia

The wicked fleeth when no man pursueth, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

I advise this two countries to stay off NATO,or suffer brutal devastation from Russian.

People wey no even get big land before,you still wan Putin to come still collect part of una land.

May you receive sense

omis1:
What has pootin achieved with his senseless war ? He has brought nato closer to his border

Svlla:
I dont know how many times I will say this. Finland can't join NATO...just like Ukraine can't join NATO. It will lead to too much tension and security issues in Europe

See Finland see St Petersburg

Same way Russia can't deploy Nukes to Kaliningrad
Actions have consequences and the reasonable ones in Europe will weigh the consequences and any promise of gain before proceeding with this suicidal thoughts

Make una reason am na

Even most NATO nations will veto Finland ascension to NATO. All this are just mouth action.

plaindealer:



Who are the most NATO nations?

They don't have names?

NATO lobbied for the application

Major NATO members and founding members issued security guarantees to protect Sweden and Finland to warn Russian never to touch them.

NATO vowed to shorten the membership period to make sure it happens right away.

... but some pouTistans on NL don collect their own intelligence from imaginary NATO members ready to veto.

I keep saying, pouTin and his fanboys are always delusional and out of touch with realities and basic sanity..

Svlla:


I thought you're an intelligent person

So you don't know that all 30 nations need to accommodate this new members in their respective parliament or legislative bodies

It's a lengthy process and won't be a walk in the park considering that they have to factor current security situation in Europe

If you think these people react with emotions just the way most of you on Nairaland does then you must have your head where your AR.se is suppose to be

NATO officials say the Nordic duo’s accession process could be done “in a couple of weeks.” The most time-consuming part of the procedure —ratification of the country’s protocol by the 30 NATO member countries — could even be completed in less time than the four months or so that it took West Germany, Turkey and Greece to join in the 1950s, when there were only 12 members to ratify their applications.

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-05-12/finland-leaders-support-applying-nato-membership

plaindealer:






1. You said most NATO nations will veto Finland's ascension to NATO and I asked you to list the so-called members that are against this move by Finland, but instead, you are writing an irrelevant essay.

2. What news have you heard from the members that say they are against Finland and Sweden joining NATO. What is ignorant and unintelligent os make statements without facts and official statements by the folks involved?

3. You just assumed that your own lame, baseless and ignorant personal opinions should be swallowed as facts.

4. NATO is the authority regardless, not you or your lame and factless opinion, according to NATO, this is going to be the quickest process in their history, they are ready to get the accession process done in less than 2 weeks, but you sit on NL massaging yourself with your own pointless and ignorant fabrications about this and lenthy process.

Are you NATO?

Do you know more than NATO and its members?

Try to keep your pointless opinions to yourself especially when you lack facts, sane and intelligent submissions.


When you return with more silly and pointless rubbish, post the list of the so-called MOST members of NATO that will object, how you found out that most will object, when and how you received the news that most will object...

plaindealer:



The West is not playing with PoUtIN.

If den born PoUtin well, touch Finland or Sweden..

Pierocash:
Finland and Sweden don't like their economy and infrastructure. Ukraine got more than this assurance and today we all know the story, Ukraine is now a pariah state.

What are they always afraid of if truly they aren't been used by US and NATO for something sinister against Russia

The wicked fleeth when no man pursueth, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

I advise this two countries to stay off NATO,or suffer brutal devastation from Russian.

People wey no even get big land before,you still wan Putin to come still collect part of una land.

May you receive sense