The president of Finland, Sauli Niinisto, has informed his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, of his country’s intention to apply for NATO membership “in the coming days” in a “direct, unequivocal and unexaggerated” telephone conversation. according to the statement from the Finnish Presidency.
Niinisto explained to Putin that “Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has altered Finland’s security environment” and reminded him that “every independent nation” has the right to “maximize its security.”
“By joining NATO, Finland strengthens its own security and assumes its responsibility. It does not distance itself from anyone,” adds the presidential note.
However, the Finnish president told Putin that his intention in the future is to “deal with the practical issues arising from being a neighbor of Russia in a correct and professional manner.”
“President Niinistö reiterated his deep concern about the human suffering caused by the war that Russia is waging in Ukraine and stressed the imperative need for peace,” according to the note, which concludes by stating that the telephone conversation was initiated by Finland.
Next, the Finnish Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, announced that the leadership of her party, the Social Democratic Workers’ Party of Finland (SDP), had ratified its support for the country’s entry into the Alliance.
“As a consequence of the significant changes in the security situation in Finland and in Europe, the SDP supports Finland’s entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,” Marin said at a press conference, according to the Finnish newspaper ‘ Helsingin Sanomat’.
“The SDP supports the proposal to open accession negotiations,” added Marin, who stressed that the direction of training has approved the proposal unanimously.
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