Finnish Lawmakers Start Debate On NATO Membership

Finland's parliament on Wednesday opened a debate on whether to seek NATO membership or not after Russia's invasion of Ukraine sparked a surge in political and public support for joining the military alliance, Sam Kingsley reported for Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Photo Insert: Parliament House, Helsinki

Despite Russia warning of a nuclear build-up in the Baltic should Finland and neighboring Sweden join the military alliance, Finland's prime minister said that her country would now decide quickly on whether to apply for membership.

"I think it will happen quite fast. Within weeks, not within months," Prime Minister Sanna Marin said last week. Sweden is also discussing whether to submit a membership bid following Russia's February 24 invasion.

The 200 MPs in Finland's Eduskunta last week received a government-commissioned "white paper" that assessed the implications of NATO membership alongside other security options, such as increased bilateral defense agreements.

The report did not make recommendations but stressed that without NATO membership, Finland enjoys no security guarantees despite currently being a partner in the alliance.

It said the "deterrent effect" on Finland's defense would be "considerably greater" inside the bloc, while noting that membership also carried obligations for Finland to assist other NATO states, the Finnish media outlet Yle also reported.

After two decades of public support for NATO membership remaining steady at 20-30 percent, the war sparked a surge among those in favor to over 60 percent, according to opinion polls.

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