NATO membership: Finland still hopes for dual membership

Sweden and Finland want to join NATO – actually together. But Turkey blocked Sweden because of a dispute. But Finland doesn’t want to give up just yet – the common security policy with its neighbor is too important.

The Finnish foreign minister is not easily disturbed. Not even a small technical glitch during the hastily convened press conference in Helsinki: the microphones don’t work.

So Pekka Haavisto waits a few minutes and then calmly repeats his sentence: Finland wants to continue joining Sweden with NATO. And as quickly as possible. The statements made by the Turkish President would not have changed that.

“Turkish President Erdogan stated yesterday that Turkey might accept Finland’s entry into NATO,” Haavisto said. The statement shows that there is a will in Turkey to advance the process quickly if necessary. “Our wish was and is to join NATO together with Sweden,” emphasized the Finnish minister. “Our position remains the same.”

Ice Age between Ankara and Stockholm

Finland’s patience is being put to the test these days. The joint NATO accession process with neighboring Sweden was actually already on the home straight. Only Hungary and Turkey still have to ratify, then it would be done.

But then came the weekend when a right-wing extremist burned the Koran in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm and at an anti-NATO demonstration sympathizers of the banned PKK workers’ party taunted Erdogan.

Since then there has been an ice age between Ankara and Stockholm. Turkey’s president angrily announced that Sweden could no longer count on Turkey’s support if it were to join NATO.

Integrated security policy of the two countries

The fact that Turkey could wave Finland through, but not Sweden, might sound tempting. But that is not in Finland’s interest, stressed the Finnish chief diplomat.

The security of Sweden and Finland go hand in hand. “We share the long common coastline of the Baltic Sea,” said Haavisto. “And whenever NATO plans to defend this region, both Finland and Sweden must be considered.”

This applies both to the defense of Finland and the Baltic States. “We have an integrated security policy and it will stay that way,” said the minister.

Keep the lines closed

After the advances from Turkey, Haavisto approached his Swedish counterpart Tobias Billström directly. We are also coordinating as closely as possible with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Keeping the lines closed is the goal now.

But Finland’s foreign minister – in a fine suit and handkerchief – is also a realist. Turkey sets the pace. “We hope that both Finland and Sweden can become members of NATO before the Vilnius summit,” Haavisto said. That is an important milestone. “But we can’t speak for Turkey or Hungary as far as the schedule is concerned. We’re in their hands there.”

Haavisto didn’t want to say in Helsinki today when Finland’s patience would run out. One stays in contact with Turkey. And then, after the presidential election there in mid-May, it might still be possible to get Sweden and Finland into NATO by the summer.