Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Politics

Sweden to take Finland NATO stance into account, foreign minister says

FILE PHOTO: Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde attends the High-Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, February 28, 2022. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

Sweden will take into account Finland's NATO assessments when deciding on whether it will send an application, the Swedish foreign minister said on Thursday.

"Finland is Sweden's closest security & defence partner, and we need to take Finland's assessments into account," Foreign Minister Ann Linde said on Twitter.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Thursday that Finland must apply to join the NATO military alliance "without delay", a major policy shift triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The decision is significant for Sweden as it is likely to move in tandem with Finland, with whom Sweden have close historic and military ties. Sweden is expected to announce it will apply for membership within days.

(Reporting by Johan Ahlander; editing by Niklas Pollard)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.