A key member of Finland’s ruling coalition opened the door to a potential NATO membership bid in yet another sign the Nordic country is nearing an application to join the defense alliance following neighboring Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
The Center Party, part of a five-party cabinet run by Social Democrat Prime Minister Sanna Marin, is an important political force in Finland with widespread support in rural areas. The party has not previously advocated joining the bloc, traditionally leaning toward fostering a trade relationship with Russia instead.
The party’s top leadership unanimously approved a proposal made by party leader, Finance Minister Annika Saarikko, to take any security-policy decisions deemed necessary, including an application to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, should the government want to take that step. Her proposal had been backed by Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen, among others.
“Finland’s security environment changed in the early hours of Feb. 24 as Russia launched its attack” on Ukraine, Saarikko said in a speech distributed by email on Saturday. “Two cornerstones of our security — a rule-based international order and a functioning relationship with Russia — crumbled beneath our feet.”
Among Finland’s biggest parties, the opposition National Coalition has been a NATO proponent for years, while the Social Democrats are re-evaluating their stance of shunning the idea of membership. The anti-immigration Finns Party, also in the opposition, became supporters of NATO entry following Russia’s attack.
