Finland’s leaders call for NATO membership ‘without delay’

https://apnews.com/article/sweden-finland-sauli-niinisto-4ede1942b679dd15bd3021f9b194cbec

"HELSINKI (AP) — Finland’s leaders said Thursday they’re in favor of rapidly applying for NATO membership, paving the way for a historic expansion of the alliance that could deal a serious blow to Russia as its military struggles with its war in Ukraine.

The dramatic move by Finland was announced by President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin. It means that Finland is all but certain to join NATO, though a few steps remain before the application process can begin. Neighboring Sweden is expected to decide on joining NATO in coming days.

“NATO membership would strengthen Finland’s security. As a member of NATO, Finland would strengthen the entire defence alliance,” Niinisto and Marin said in a joint statement. “Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay. We hope that the national steps still needed to make this decision will be taken rapidly within the next few days.” "

Two new NATO members ! That Pootin is a genius. But mostly, he is poo.

 

Finland enjoined in a defense pact with the UK already this week. Pursuing NATO membership might actually be redundant here...

 

Dwarfstans world is getting smaller...now he'll need to contend with a further 700+ mile NATO border......

 

Russia is now threatening retaliation. No doubt there will be a handful of far righties on the forum that will defend Russia's aggression. Hopefully it will only be two or three of them.

 

The Finnish Army has more Leopard II tanks than Germany (which built them).

 

Sadly , it won’t. For Republicans, what is bad for the US is good for the Republican Party.

 

What makes you say that?

 

Listening to Republicans comment publicly about Pootin and the Ukraine.

 

For example? And you cannot mention Donald Trump.

 

Ukraine War: What will it mean if Finland and Sweden join NATO?


It's going to mean a much more powerful NATO and a much more unhappy bunch of vatniks.

 

Sure I can: his mouth is the gift that keeps giving……….to Democrats.

“The smartest one gets to the top," Trump told the crowd. "That didn't work so well recently in our country. But they ask me, 'Is Putin smart?' Yes, Putin was smart. And I actually thought he was going to be negotiating. I said, 'That's a hell of a way to negotiate, put 200,000 soldiers on the border.'"

"I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, 'This is genius.' Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine -- of Ukraine. Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that's wonderful."

 

Trump is an idiot.

 

That's not exactly a State Secret.

 

It is not written on the stone that Finland and Sweden will join NATO. Turkey is against it, and there should be 100% consensus on that issue.

 

One step closer....I hope they do....then Russia can spend tons more $$$ it doesn't have.

Personally....they are already in NATO....officially announcing it will be a formality.

What's Dwarfstan going to do .....invade....ROFL.

 

No, they are not in and will be not in until Turkey says yes. And it unlikely says yes because Erdogan is a friend of Putin.

 

Turkey will say yes...in the end, since the US funds much of Nato....and US has base at Incirlik....with nukes. Dream on...

 

I think the step in putting the fear of God into Putin is to bring the big diplomatic guns ..... and get Ireland to join NATO. (You know, to be sure.)

 

I just love that someone shilling for a dictator who arrests people for daring to disagree with him and treats so many weaker nations on his borders as vassal states is demanding that NATO reach a 100% consensus.

too funny.

NATO is going to expand and thre is nothing Putin can do about it. If only he hadn't invaded Ukraine none of this would be happening. Maybe he should have tried t oreach a 100% concsnsus wiht Ukraine on its territorial sovereignty.

 

Erdogan is facing a collapsing economy & an electoral defeat. He isn't stating some principled position, he is negotiating. This will come to nothing.

 

You may jump out of your pants crying that Putin is a dictator, but there is a rule that every NATO country has to agree upon new members. If you do not know that rule, that is your problem.

 

So Putin doesn't have to follow rules but NATO does. Got it. No surprises there.

 

Putin has nothing to do with NATO internal rules. The same thing for EU, if Ukraine wants to be in EU every EU country has to approve it.

 

You have made your views very clear - Putin can invade another country, have its citizens murdered, raped and tortures and destroy its cities and infrastructure and you have NO problem with it. But you demand NATO & the EU follow rules.

That sound you hear when you close your eyes is the moral vacuum that comes with supporting Putin. That you think you can lecture any civilized people on how to behave is laughable.

 

Do not twist the meaning of my messages and attribute something that I have never said. Show me in this discussion the messages with demands from NATO. If you are not intelligent enough to differentiate between the demands and simple statement of the facts -I am very sorry for you. As far as lecturing is concerned that is what normally US does: it destroyed and disintegrated completely Yugoslavia, yet they teach Russia how to behave.