Sweden and Finland could have their NATO memberships approved in just two weeks, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said Wednesday, following reports that the countries will jointly express their wish to join the military alliance this month.
Støre told Norwegian tabloid newspaper Verdens Gang (VG) NATO has started a process that could bring Sweden and Finland into the alliance in rapid order, should the two countries apply to join.
It comes after tabloid newspapers Iltalehti in Finland and Expressen in Sweden reported on April 25, citing sources close to the matter, that the leaders of the two nations intend to meet in the week of May 16, and will subsequently publicly announce their plans to apply to join NATO.
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In a sign of intensifying talks between the two nations, the prime ministers of Sweden and Finland, Magdalena Andersson and Sanna Marin, met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on May 3 to discuss security issues.
Finland's foreign minister, Pekka Haavisto, said on April 29 that it is Finland's wish that "Finland and Sweden can adhere to the same timetable in respect of applying for membership to NATO."
Marin recently said that she expected Finland to make up its mind on whether to apply for NATO membership within weeks.
The VG newspaper cited diplomatic sources as saying that lengthy talks have been underway between the NATO countries and Sweden and Finland, to shorten the process as much as possible between application and membership.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg's staff in Brussels, in cooperation with the alliance's member countries, are trying to shrink this time window as much as possible, VG reported.
Newsweek has been unable to independently verify the reports.
The Kremlin has repeatedly warned Finland and Sweden against applying for NATO membership, saying that the possible accession of the countries to the military alliance would not bring stability to Europe.
Ending Ukraine's desire to join the defense alliance was one reason Russian President Vladimir Putin gave for justifying his invasion in February. The war has pushed European countries to rethink their security policies.
When pressed by reporters last month on the possibility of Sweden and Finland joining NATO, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia has "repeatedly said that the alliance remains a tool geared towards confrontation."
"Its further expansion will not bring stability to the European continent," said Peskov.
Newsweek has contacted NATO, and officials in Russia, Sweden and Finland, for comment.
Update 05/04/22, 7:22 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and quotes.
U-N-C-L-E on May 4th, 2022 at 22:44 UTC »
It's not exactly a tough call from NATO's perspective. Two strong democracies with respect for human rights, and won't drag the rest of the alliance into anything unnecessary.
State_secretary on May 4th, 2022 at 20:44 UTC »
In the Finnish speaking subreddit, people have been reporting Russian "hybrid-influencing" occurring a lot more frequently during the last couple of weeks. Including:
Russian propaganda and disinformation about NATO and Ukraine translated to Finnish and spammed via email
Trying to sow division between Finns and Russians living in Finland (for example, creating fake "friendship organisations" that are pro-Putin and crying about discrimination when faced with public backslash)
Spreading disinformation about the Finns planning an attack on Russian soil, or Russians living in Finland being persecuted, etc etc
Having complicit politicians and other public figures spout Russian propaganda, especially anti-NATO things
Having Finnish-appearing Twitter accounts deride Finland, Nato and generally opposing Finland's NATO membership either by claiming one is not fit for the other
Curious if similar is happening in Sweden, too.
FnordFinder on May 4th, 2022 at 19:17 UTC »
The Swedes and the Finns already have their own capable military and domestic military industry, adding them in NATO would be a huge boost to the alliance's power and deterrence capability.