Sweden and Finland Unlikely to Join NATO Soon
Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin arrives along with other leaders in support of Ukraine at the EU summit in Brussels, Friday, Oct. 21, 2022. AP Photo/Olivier Matthys
What was expected to be a smooth transition into NATO has turned into a long-winded diplomatic negotiation as Sweden and Finland face difficulties joining the organization due to Turkey’s persistent opposition.
Turkey and Hungary are the last 2 NATO members that have yet to give the green light needed to secure the necessary unanimous approval for membership; 28 member states have already approved the expansion.
Hungary has indicated that their parliament will be voting to approve the measure within the next couple of months, yet Turkey remains steadfast in its opposition. Turkey’s slow decision-making has caused frustration and concern from diplomats and leader’s across NATO, as the resistance comes at a time in which European security is under increased threat due to the war in Ukraine.
Recently, leaders have hosted a few press conferences to address the slow progress. On November 1, 2022 leaders met at the 74th Ordinary Session of the Nordic Council in Helsinki, Finland. Finland’s Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, spoke at the meeting, where she urged Hungary and Turkey to approve Sweden and Finland’s applications for NATO membership, stating “it would be important that this would happen preferably sooner than later.
Along with Prime Minister Marin, Premier of Aland Veronica Thornroos, Prime Minister of Iceland Katrin Jakobsdottir, Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Stoere, and Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson were in attendance, showing unity in the European Union.
NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at a press conference in Istanbul, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. AP Photo/Khalil Hamra
The slow progress has become increasingly frustrating to NATO’s leadership, prompting Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to attend a news conference with Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca in Brussels, Belgium last week. Stoltenberg emphasized that, “In these dangerous times, it’s even more important to finalize their accession, to prevent any misunderstanding or miscalculation in Moscow.” In a time when European cooperation is becoming more important, lack of cooperation in the alliance can reflect negatively on NATO’s reputation. Stoltenberg has used this visit to urge the acceptance of Sweden and Finland into NATO and for Turkey to set aside its indecisiveness.
Stoltenberg also took a trip to Istanbul, Turkey on Friday to meet with President Erdoǧan. Besides discussing the war in Ukraine, both leaders also talked about finalizing Sweden and Finland’s acceptance into NATO. Stoltenberg stressed that both countries have already “delivered on their agreement with Turkey” and are committed to addressing security concerns.
More recently, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson met with Erdoǧan and Turkish parliament speaker Mustafa Sentop in Ankara, Turkey on Nov. 8 to discuss Sweden’s NATO application. He was also welcomed with a ceremony at the president’s palace. As Turkey continues to press Sweden about their involvement with Kurdish militants, Sweden plans to take more counter-terrorism measures, like supporting NATO’s counter-terrorism fund. The struggle that Sweden and Finland are facing shows a growing concern for more cooperation ever since the war in Russia and Ukraine started, as both countries wanted to join the alliance over fears that they might be the next targets. While the timeline, joining the alliance will demonstrate that European countries have strong cooperation and will further the border that they have along Russia.