Finland

Finland changed its policy toward the military alliance after troops invaded Ukraine. Sweden has avoided all military alliances, but like Finland, ...

You may click on “Your Choices” below to learn about and use cookie management tools to limit use of cookies when you visit NPR’s sites. If you click “Agree and Continue” below, you acknowledge that your cookie choices in those tools will be respected and that you otherwise agree to the use of cookies on NPR’s sites. NPR’s sites use cookies, similar tracking and storage technologies, and information about the device you use to access our sites (together, “cookies”) to enhance your viewing, listening and user experience, personalize content, personalize messages from NPR’s sponsors, provide social media features, and analyze NPR’s traffic.

Finland's government declared a 'new era' is underway as it inches closer to seeking NATO membership, hours before Sweden's governing party on Sunday backed ...

When Rande Cook first spotted the potted plant, he 'hired' it on the spot. Charlotte Cardin's hands were full at the Juno Awards pre-telecast ceremony on Saturday as she picked up a leading three trophies. CTVNews.ca has some tips on how to catch the astronomical event. Most of the victims were Black. Officials said they are investigating the shooting as a racially motivated hate crime. 1 hr ago 1 hr ago But he was optimistic that all NATO members would support bids from Finland and Sweden. Turkey has also been infuriated by U.S. support for PKK-linked Syrian Kurdish militants to fight the Islamic State group. Stoltenberg said he was confident the accession process for Finland and Sweden could be expedited. Nordic NATO member Norway said it strongly welcomed Finland's decision to seek membership. Both countries fought a brief war in 2008 over Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia. A formal membership application will then be submitted to NATO headquarters in Brussels, most likely at some point next week.

Top NATO diplomats are meeting Sunday to discuss providing further support to Ukraine and moves by Finland, Sweden and others to join NATO in the face of ...

Officials there expressed strong support for Ukraine and warned that Russia’s blockade of grain exports from Ukrainian ports risks stoking a global food crisis. Canada has a clear open door policy and we stand with Sweden and Finland.” Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly tweeted “We must meet the moment. “The brutal invasion (by) Russia is losing momentum,” NATO Deputy-Secretary General Mircea Geoana told reporters. “We know that with the bravery of the Ukrainian people and army, and with our help, Ukraine can win this war.” Top NATO diplomats are meeting Sunday in Berlin to discuss providing further support to Ukraine and moves by Finland, Sweden and others to join NATO in the face of threats from Russia.

Finland's government announces it wants to join NATO with application expected this week, while Sweden's governing party back's plan to join alliance.

Stoltenberg said he was confident the accession process for Finland and Sweden could be expedited. But he was optimistic that all NATO members would support bids from Finland and Sweden. Turkey has also been infuriated by U.S. support for PKK-linked Syrian Kurdish militants to fight the Islamic State group. Both countries fought a brief war in 2008 over Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia. A formal membership application will then be submitted to NATO headquarters in Brussels, most likely at some point next week. Russia is not achieving its strategic objectives.” Nonetheless, Turkey’s raising of its grievances has led to concerns in Washington and Brussels that other NATO members might also use the admission process as a way to wring concessions from allies, possibly complicating and delaying accession. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavuolu told reporters in Berlin that Finland and Sweden had also imposed restrictions on defense sales to Turkey that he called “unacceptable.” “Ukraine can win this war,” he said, adding that NATO must continue to step up its military support to the country. “Russia’s war in Ukraine is not going as Moscow had planned,” Stoltenberg said by video link to the NATO meeting in Berlin as he recovers from a COVID-19 infection.” “They failed to take Kyiv. They are pulling back from around Kharkiv. Their major offensive in Donbas has stalled. The decision by the Social Democrats breaks with the party’s long-standing position that Sweden must remain nonaligned and means there’s a clear majority for NATO membership in Parliament. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Sunday the process for Finland and Sweden to join could be very quick.

It's a historic move for the Nordic countries, which are known for their policies of military neutrality.

Finland and Sweden have both been reviewing their security policies following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which showed the Kremlin is willing to attack a neighboring nation. Last week, Russia's foreign ministry said Finland joining NATO would be a "radical change" in the country's foreign policy. Finland shares an 830-mile border with Russia; if it joins the military alliance, the land border that Russia shares with NATO territories would roughly double. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has deteriorated the security situation for Sweden and Europe as a whole," Ann Linde, Sweden's foreign affairs minister, said on Twitter. Marin said Finland has been in close contact with NATO and its members over the decision. - Finland shares an 830-mile border with Russia; if it joins the military alliance, the land border that Russia shares with NATO territories would roughly double.

BERLIN (AP) — Finland's government declared a “new era” is underway as it inches closer to seeking NATO membership, hours before Sweden's governing party on ...

But he was optimistic that all NATO members would support bids from Finland and Sweden. Stoltenberg said he was confident the accession process for Finland and Sweden could be expedited. Turkey has also been infuriated by U.S. support for PKK-linked Syrian Kurdish militants to fight the Islamic State group. “They failed to take Kyiv. They are pulling back from around Kharkiv. Their major offensive in Donbas has stalled. Both countries fought a brief war in 2008 over Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia. A formal membership application will then be submitted to NATO headquarters in Brussels, most likely at some point next week. Russia is not achieving its strategic objectives.” Nonetheless, Turkey's raising of its grievances has led to concerns in Washington and Brussels that other NATO members might also use the admission process as a way to wring concessions from allies, possibly complicating and delaying accession. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told reporters in Berlin that Finland and Sweden had also imposed restrictions on defense sales to Turkey that he called “unacceptable.” In the meantime, the alliance would increase its presence in the Baltic region to deter Russian threats, he said. “Russia’s war in Ukraine is not going as Moscow had planned,” Stoltenberg said by video link to the NATO meeting in Berlin as he recovers from a COVID-19 infection." NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Sunday the process for Finland and Sweden to join could be very quick.

Finland and Sweden are set to apply for membership in the NATO defense bloc after Russia's invasion of Ukraine is ending an era of the two Nordic nations ...

Finland officially declared its intention to seek NATO membership, and Sweden's ruling party said it's in favour of abandoning neutrality by joining the ...

Finnish leaders say shift in wake of Russian action is not just in politics but also in people's minds.

The move changes decades of Finnish policy toward the Cold War-era military alliance. It is also a big blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who sent troops ...

You may click on “Your Choices” below to learn about and use cookie management tools to limit use of cookies when you visit NPR’s sites. If you click “Agree and Continue” below, you acknowledge that your cookie choices in those tools will be respected and that you otherwise agree to the use of cookies on NPR’s sites. NPR’s sites use cookies, similar tracking and storage technologies, and information about the device you use to access our sites (together, “cookies”) to enhance your viewing, listening and user experience, personalize content, personalize messages from NPR’s sponsors, provide social media features, and analyze NPR’s traffic.

Moscow tells Nordic pair there will be 'far-reaching consequences' as both parliaments begin debating issue.

Nato and the US have both said they were confident Turkey would not hold up Sweden’s accession. While 85% of Finland’s 200 MPs back membership, 150 have requested to speak and a vote was not expected on Monday. “I’m confident we will be able to address the concerns Turkey has expressed in a way that doesn’t delay the membership,” Stoltenberg said on Sunday. “Our goal is to be amongst the first countries to be able to ratify the accession of Sweden and Finland, because we know that the interim period between the accession demand and the ratification must be shortened,” she said. She added: “Unfortunately, we have no reason to believe the current trend [of Russia’s actions] will be reversed in the foreseeable future.” A formal Swedish government decision to join the alliance is expected later on Monday. Ryabkov added that the two Nordic nations “should have no illusions that we will simply put up with it”, warning that the move was “another grave mistake with far-reaching consequences” and the “general level of military tension will increase”.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Monday said Finland and Sweden should have no illusions that Moscow will simply put up with their joining ...

It is a shame that common sense is being sacrificed to some phantom provision about what should be done in this unfolding situation,” Ryabkov said. “The fact that the security of Sweden and Finland will not be strengthened as a result of this decision is very clear to us. Russia calls Finland, Sweden joining NATO a mistake with 'far-reaching consequences' Back to video

The two Nordic nations had long kept the military alliance at an arm's length, even while eying Russia to their east with caution. But Moscow's assault on ...

He added that Russia's reaction would depend on "how far and how close to our borders the military infrastructure will move." Russia currently shares about 755 miles of land border with five NATO members, according to the alliance. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, public support for joining NATO in Finland has leaped from around 30% to nearly 80% in some polls. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that "NATO expansion does not make the world more stable and secure" after the announcement. , Russia attempted to demand security guarantees from NATO that the alliance stop expanding eastward. The term was coined during the Cold War and has been applied to other countries in which a superpower exerts control over smaller neighboring states. "There's going to be preparations for contingencies as part of deterring any adventures that the Russians might be thinking of," Bildt said. While an independent nation, Sweden's geography puts it in the same "strategic environment" as its liberal democratic neighbors, Bildt said. The point of the treaty, and Article 5 specifically, was to deter the Soviets from attacking liberal democracies that lacked military strength. Article 5 guarantees that the resources of the whole alliance -- including the massive US military -- can be used to protect any single member nation, such as smaller countries who would be defenseless without their allies. Former Swedish leader Carl Bildt told CNN he doesn't see new big military bases being built in either country should they join NATO. He said that joining the alliance would likely mean more joint military training and planning between Finland, Sweden and NATO's 30 current members. But NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attempted to allay concerns about Turkey's stance, saying Sunday the country "has made it clear that their intention is not to block membership."

Finland changed its policy toward the military alliance after troops invaded Ukraine. Sweden has avoided all military alliances, but like Finland, ...

But the invasion changed Kaipia's mind. "I always thought myself being a pacifist, and NATO for me was part of the militarization of the world," said Jouni Kaipia, an architect and a photographer, after attending a rally in Helsinki to support Ukraine. HELSINKI, Finland – The leaders of Finland and Sweden have announced that they back their countries applying to join NATO in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey is not “favorable” toward Finland and Sweden joining NATO, but he has not ruled it out.