Thepossibility of membership became a topic of debate in the country after the end of theCold War and following the country's accession to NATO'sPartnership for Peace (PfP) programme and theEuropean Union (EU) in the mid-1990s.[2] In spite of these new bonds to Europe and the West, public support for NATO accession remained low.
Areas ceded by Finland to the Soviet Union following theMoscow Armistice displayed in red
At the end ofWorld War II, Finland had to cut its ties withGermany, with which it had allied against theSoviet Union in theContinuation War. Following the war, foreign policy was guided by thePaasikivi–Kekkonen doctrine, which aimed to ensure Finland's survival as an independentsovereign,democratic, andcapitalist state next to theCommunist Soviet Union. This was to be achieved by maintaining good enough relations with the Soviet Union to avoid war with its eastern neighbor. The Finnish government refused foreign aid from the United States under theMarshall Plan due to Soviet pressure. Shortly afterward, theYYA Treaty was concluded between Finland and the Soviet Union.
NATO was founded in 1949. As opposed to neighbouringNorway, Finland chose not to join. TheCold War was marked byFinlandization, in which Finland retained its nominal independence and control over its internal affairs, while the conduct of foreign policy during this period was always more or less limited by the need to avoid conflict with the Soviet regime and its foreign policy. As a result, Finland tookneutral stances to stay out ofgreat power conflicts, and refrained from joining NATO, theEuropean Communities, or other institutions which were established following the war by the Western democratic states, as well as the Soviet-ledWarsaw Pact.[7] During the peak of the Cold War, the Finnish government made a conscious effort to increase defence capabilities to ensure a strong deterrent for any potential invasion. From 1968 onward, the Finnish government adopted the doctrine of territorial defence, which requires the use of large land areas to delay and wear out a potential aggressor. This was complemented by the concept oftotal defence, which calls for the use of all resources of society for national defence in times of crisis.
Following thedissolution of the Soviet Union between 1988 and 1991, the threat posed to Finland's independence was diminished. NATO emphasized its open door policy to admitting new members, and many formerEastern Bloc andpost-Soviet states joined the alliance in the 1990s and 2000s. Through subsequent governments the Finnish position was that joining NATO was unnecessary, and it was preferable to retain an independent defence policy, though if conditions changed the country had the right to exercise the option to join NATO.[8] Removing barriers to effectively exercising the option to join an alliance (for example, by increasing interoperability) is a part of this policy.[9] Finland joined NATO'sPartnership for Peace in 1994.
1995–2022: Shift from non-alignment within the European Union
Finland became a member of theEuropean Union in1995. Since the entry into force of theTreaty of Lisbon in 2009, the EU mutual solidarity clause applies to Finland along with other EU member states:
If a Member State is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, the other Member States shall have towards it an obligation of aid and assistance by all the means in their power, in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. This shall not prejudice the specific character of the security and defence policy of certain Member States. [...]
Article 42.2 specifies thatNATO shall be the main forum for the implementation of collective self-defence for EU member states that are also NATO members. The other EU member states that are outside NATO and consequently resort to the EU'sCommon Security and Defence Policy (CSDP, which has a much smaller structures and capabilities than NATO'scommand structure) for the implementation of collective self-defence, areAustria,Cyprus,Ireland andMalta.
The possibility of Finland's membership in NATO was one of the most important issues debated in relation to theFinnish presidential election of 2006.[10] The main opposition candidateSauli Niinistö, of theNational Coalition Party, supported Finland joining a "more European" NATO.[10] Fellow right-wingerHenrik Lax of theSwedish People's Party likewise supported the concept. On the other side, presidentTarja Halonen of theSocial Democratic Party opposed changing the status quo, as did most other candidates in the election. Her victory and re-election to the post of president put the issue of a NATO membership for Finland on hold for the duration of her term.
In 2007, Finland made various technical preparations of theFinnish Defence Forces for membership, with the then Defence MinisterJyri Häkämies eager to pursue NATO membership. The government preferred to wait until after the negotiations of thenew EU treaty were concluded before reviewing their policy on NATO, to determine if it included a new EU-level defence agreement.[11]
Finnish think tankEVA [fi], which has regularly commissioned opinion polls on NATO membership, noted in its 2015 report a downward trend in the percent opposed that started in 1998, including a steep decline after the2012 presidential election.[12] In March 2014, duringRussia's annexation of Crimea, one survey showed only 22 percent supported membership, though a second showed that 53 percent would support membership if Finnish leadership recommended it.[13] Support for a military alliance with neighborSweden was also high, at 54 percent,[14] and Finland could possibly seek an enlarged role forNORDEFCO.[15]Finnish Minister of Defence Carl Haglund suggested that a referendum on NATO membership could be held sometime after the2015 parliamentary election.[16]
FinnishIFOR forces on aSisu XA-180 in 1996AFinnish Air ForceF/A-18 Hornet, which is slated to be replaced by theF-35 Lightning II beginning in 2026Finland has sent peacekeepers to Kosovo as part of the NATO-ledKosovo Force. In this image, two Finnish soldiers are receiving a briefing from an Irish soldier.
Before joining NATO, Finland participated in nearly all sub-areas of thePartnership for Peace programme, and provided peacekeeping forces to both the Afghanistan and Kosovo missions.[10] The Finnish government's 1997 defensewhite paper strongly advocated the development of interoperability to support international crisis management in line with the PfP concept. The 1998–2008 defense program began in May 1997 at the "Spirit of PfP" training innorthernNorway.[17] Finland maintained close relations with NATO and purchased from its members military equipment includingF-35 Lightning II aircraft.[18] Newly procured equipment was required to meet NATO standards since before Finland seriously pursued membership.[19] Despite "longstanding armaments cooperation with NATO," upon accession it still retained non-compatible materiel, such as theRK 62 assault rifle, that would not be decommissioned until the end of its lifecycle.[20]
In April 2014, whileCarl Haglund was Defence Minister, the government announced that it was negotiating amemorandum of understanding with NATO [fi] on Finland's readiness to receive military assistance and to aid NATO in equipment maintenance. He emphasized that this memorandum was not a step toward membership.[21] The agreement, signed in September 2014, allows NATO and Finland to hold joint exercises on Finnish soil and permits assistance from NATO members in situations such as "disasters, disruptions, and threats to security".[22] As such, Finland (and Sweden) participated in the 2015 NATO-led Arctic Challenge Exercise.[23]
In January 2022, Prime MinisterSanna Marin said that Finland reserved the option of applying NATO membership if it chooses to do so, but she said it was "very unlikely" it would happen during her term as prime minister.[24][25]
2022–2023: Accession process following the Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in response to theRussian invasion of Ukraine, the prime minister reiterated that while Finland was "not currently facing an immediate military threat", joining NATO was still a possibility, noting that "the debate on NATO membership in Finland will change".[26] On 25 February, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson threatenedFinland andSweden with "military and political consequences" if they attempted to join NATO. Both countries had attended the emergency NATO summit as members of NATO'sPartnership for Peace and both had condemned the invasion and had provided assistance to Ukraine.[27] Following a meeting on 1 March 2022 to discuss whether to apply to become full members of NATO, Prime Minister Sanna Marin stated that no decision had been made on the issue yet, saying that "such an important question needs to be dealt with thoroughly".[28] According to news reports from early March 2022, Finland and Sweden had begun plans to apply forMajor non-NATO ally status with the United States.[29][30][31]
Opinion polling following the invasion showed an unprecedented increase in support for joining NATO among Finns, with a clear majority in favour.[32] Several citizens'initiatives on the subject got the required 50,000 signatures, requiring theParliament of Finland to consider the matter.[33][34][35] President Niinistö characterised the polling as demonstrating sufficient popular support for an application.[36] Prime Minister Marin suggested that the decision process must be concluded in the spring and in a matter of "weeks, not months".[37][38]
On 13 April 2022, theMinistry for Foreign Affairs produced a report on the international security landscape and on the foreign and defence policy options available to Finland, which is expected to form the basis of the debate on NATO membership.[39] The report identifies that the Russian invasion has changed the long-term European security environment and made it more difficult to predict and act in the near term.[40] It does not explicitly take a position on NATO membership, but does state that the present security arrangements are insufficient and that membership would increase stability, although there is no immediate threat. As a member, Finland would not be obliged to accept foreign bases or the presence of nuclear weapons on its territory;[41] Finland's defence budget would rise by 1 to 1.5%.[42]Helsingin Sanomat assessed it as a positive evaluation of NATO membership.[41]
Prior to theRussian invasion of Ukraine, theNational Coalition Party andSwedish People's Party of Finland supported NATO membership, and the other parties were neutral or opposed to varying degrees. In 2016, the party conference of the National Coalition Party agreed that Finland should apply for membership "in the next few years".[43] In the vision of the Swedish People's Party of Finland set out in the same year, Finland will be a NATO member in 2025.[44] Many individual politicians have advocated for NATO as well, including the former PresidentSauli Niinistö and current PresidentAlexander Stubb,[45] as well as former PresidentMartti Ahtisaari,[10][46] who has argued that Finland should join all the organizations supported by other Western democracies in order "to shrug off once and for all the burden ofFinlandization".[47] Two other former presidents from theSocial Democratic Party,Tarja Halonen andMauno Koivisto, have publicly opposed the idea, arguing that NATO membership would deteriorate Finland's relations withRussia.[48] TheLeft Alliance has been the party most opposed to joining NATO; when they entered into coalition with the SDP in 2019, they made clear that any movement toward a military alliance would lead to the Left Alliance leaving the cabinet. The party's position changed following the invasion, with chairLi Andersson calling for a thoughtful, society-wide discussion and evaluation of the possibility of applying to join NATO,[49] and later confirming that the party had decided not to resign from the government if an application is submitted.[50] After the invasion and a large change in popular opinion, the leadership of theCenter Party andFinns Party also changed position to support NATO membership.[51][52]
NATO has consistently maintained its "open door policy".[53] Secretary GeneralJens Stoltenberg expected that the member states would "warmly welcome Finland as a member of NATO". He also said that this decision to invite Finland into NATO would offer it political protection during the ratification process.[54] He has said that "Finnish membership would make NATO stronger", identifying the country's military capability and commitment to remaining a democratic society as assets.[55]
Finland has received critical feedback from Russia for considering the possibility of joining NATO,[57] with a 2009 study suggesting this could have repercussions for Russia's relations with the EU and NATO as a whole.[58] Following the 2008Russo-Georgian War,Finnish Prime MinisterMatti Vanhanen reiterated that Finland had no plans to join NATO, and stated that the main lesson of the war was the need for closer ties to Russia.[59] In a June 2014 interview in the Finnish newspaperHufvudstadsbladet, Vladimir Putin's personal envoySergey Alexandrovich Markov accused Finland of extreme "Russophobia" and suggested that Finland joining NATO could startWorld War III.[60] In July 2016, Putin stated on a visit to Finland that Russia would increase the number of troops on the Finnish border if Finland were to join NATO. He also warned that NATO would "fight to the last Finn against Russia".[61][62]
After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and the radical shift in Finnish positions toward joining NATO,Maria Zakharova andDmitry Medvedev warned that joining NATO would have consequences for Finland, including the deployment ofnuclear weapons;[63] Russian newspaperIzvestia reported that the Finnish lease on theSaimaa canal may be terminated.[64]
Russia has halted providing natural gas to neighbouring Finland after the Nordic country refused to pay supplierGazprom in rubles. Russia's leading exporter of electricity to the Nordic market, RAO Nordic, has announced that it has decided to cut electricity supplies to Finland due to payment arrears.[66]
Polls asking the Finnish public whether they support or oppose joining NATO have been regularly conducted. This table includes only unconditional questions; other polled topics include support for joining NATO should Sweden also join, and support for joining NATO if the Finnish government officially recommends membership, both of which generally increased public support for joining.[67][68]
According toHelsingin Sanomat's data between 20 and 26 June 2022, 70% said Finland would not meet Turkey's demands, and 14% that it would.[69] According toIlta-Sanomat's data, between 30 January and 1 February 2023, 53% of Finnish respondents said they wanted to join NATO without waiting for Sweden to join, 28% said they wanted to wait to join NATO with Sweden, and 19% were undecided.[70][71]
Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of the Republic of Finland French:Protocole au traité de l'Atlantique Nord sur l'Accession de la République de Finlande Finnish:Pöytäkirja Pohjois-Atlantin sopimukseen Suomen tasavallan liittymisestä
Entry into force of the accession treaty after ratification by all current NATO members. Membership of Finland starts after deposit of its instrument of accession after the treaty has entered into force.
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Finnish and Swedish ambassadors submit their applications to join NATO to Secretary GeneralJens StoltenbergMagdalena Andersson (on the left),Sanna Marin andOlaf Scholz held talks about potential NATO membership for Finland and Sweden in spring 2022.
On 12 May 2022, Finnish presidentSauli Niinistö and prime ministerSanna Marin announced in a joint press conference that they were in favour of seeking NATO membership "without delay".[136] On 15 May 2022, Niinistö and Marin announced that the president and Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy had adopted a report endorsing Finland joining NATO, beginning the formal constitutional process of applying.[137] A Finnish application had been anticipated following theRussian invasion of Ukraine degrading the European security environment, and a significant shift in Finnish public opinion on the desirability of membership.[138][139]
The government's proposal to join was approved in parliament by 188 votes to 8 on 17 May.[140] The next day, Finland submitted an official application to NATO inBrussels jointly with Sweden; the organisation considered the applications and then negotiations began.[141] Negotiations were expected to take weeks, after which Finland would participate in NATO activities at all levels on a provisional basis during the ratification period.[55] With negotiations concluded and a reconfirmation of the applicant's intent to join, the accession protocol needed ratification by all the existing NATO member states;[142] this was estimated to take between four months and a year.[143] After ratification was completed, theParliament of Finland needed to pass anAct to formally bring the accession into force.[142]
During the interval between initiating an application and membership entering into force, Finland was at risk.[144]Jens Stoltenberg,NATO Secretary General, said that Finland could join the alliance "very quickly" and that there would be some degree of protection for Finland during that period.[54] Non-binding security promises were received from the United Kingdom[145] and the United States,[146] and other reports claimed that further promises would be received from the otherNordic countries[147] as well as France and Germany.[148]
TheEuropean Union announced its support for Finland andSweden's NATO membership.[149] Croatia's presidentZoran Milanović stated that his country should block ratification of Finland's accession untilelectoral reform measures are implemented in neighbouringBosnia and Herzegovina, though the Foreign Minister expressed the government's support for any application.[150] On 28 April 2022, Croatian Foreign MinisterGordan Grlić-Radman announced that Croatia supports Finland and Sweden's applications for membership in NATO.[151] In May 2022, thePortuguese government announced that they would fully support Finland andSweden's NATO membership.[152] Turkish presidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan voiced his opposition to Finland and Sweden joining NATO, saying that it would be "impossible" for Turkey to support their application while the two countries allow groups whichTurkey classifies as terrorist organizations, including the Kurdish militant groupsKurdistan Workers' Party (PKK),Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK),Democratic Union Party (Syria) (PYD), andPeople's Defense Units (YPG) and the supporters ofFethullah Gülen, a US-based Muslim cleric accused by Turkey of orchestrating a failed2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt, to operate on their territory.[137][153][154] (The PKK is on the European Union's list of terrorist organizations.)[155] Turkey requested the extradition of alleged PKK members from the Nordic countries and demanded the arms embargo imposed by the Finnish and Swedish governments in response to its2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria against the YPG be lifted.[156] Turkey's demands for extradition ofKurdish and otherpolitical dissidents has been met with hostility by Kurdish activists and somehuman rights organizations, due toTurkey's poor human rights record and suppression of the Kurdish minority in Turkey.[157]On 15 May 2022, Finnish Foreign MinisterPekka Haavisto and Swedish Foreign MinisterAnn Linde announced that they are ready to address Turkey's security concerns and have always condemned terrorism.[158][159] On 16 May 2022, Finnish Prime MinisterSanna Marin underlined that they are always ready for dialogue with Turkey regarding NATO membership and that the problem will be resolved as soon as possible.[160] On 17 May 2022, German ChancellorOlaf Scholz called on Turkey to approve Finland and Sweden's NATO membership.[161] On 18 May 2022, Turkey quickly prevented Finland and Sweden from starting NATO membership negotiations.[162] On the same day, Turkey asked Finland and Sweden, to end their support for PKK, PYD, YPG and theGülen movement and to stop their activities.[163] On 19 May 2022, Finland and Sweden announced that they could address Turkey's security concerns.[164] On the same day, Finnish PresidentSauli Niinistö and Former Swedish Prime MinisterMagdalena Andersson announced that they were always ready for talks with Turkey and always condemned terrorism.[165] On 21 May 2022, Finnish PresidentSauli Niinistö, after a phone call with Turkish PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan, stated that Finland is ready for dialogue with Turkey on NATO membership and has always condemned terrorism.[166]
On 24 May 2022, Finland and Sweden sent a delegation to meet with Turkey. Jukka Salovaara from Finland, Oscar Stenström from Sweden,İbrahim Kalın and Sedat Önal from Turkey served in the memorandum negotiations.[167][168] The first meeting of the delegations of Finland, Sweden and Turkey was held on 25 May 2022 inAnkara, Turkey.[169] The second meeting of the delegations of Finland, Sweden and Turkey was held on 20 June 2022 inBrussels, Belgium.[170] The ruling parties in Turkey, theAKP andMHP, announced that they would not support the membership of Finland and Sweden,[171][172] while the opposition partiesCHP andHDP in Turkey announced that they support the membership of Finland and Sweden.[173][174] Finnish President Niinistö said that he had earlier received favourable response, including from Erdoğan and foreign ministerMevlüt Çavuşoğlu, about Finland's membership;[175] Niinistö and Haavisto urged patience,[137] whileJussi Halla-aho, chair of theForeign Affairs Committee [fi], suggested that Turkey wished to draw attention to Swedish policies, rather than to Finland's.[176] Niinistö stated in June that his country would not move forward with their application without Sweden, and that the two countries would join NATO "hand in hand".[177]On 1 June 2022, Finnish President Niinistö stated in a statement regarding Finland's NATO membership that Turkey could address its concerns about terrorism, that it was always open to dialogue and that they always condemned terrorism.[178]Speaking later,İbrahim Kalın, spokesman for Erdoğan, said that approving Finnish membership was not being ruled out, but that the status of these groups was "a matter of national security for Turkey" and that negotiation would be required.[179] After Kalın's statement, Erdoğan reiterated his threat to block Finland's and Sweden's membership applications.[180] NATO leadership and the United States said they were confident Turkey would not hold up the two countries accession process. Canadian Foreign MinisterMélanie Joly also held talks with Turkey to convince the Turkish government of the need for the two Nordic nations' integration.[181] On 21 May, Erdoğan andSauli Niinistö had a phone call to discuss Finland's NATO bid. Niinistö reiterated Finland's condemnation of terrorism in all forms.[182][183][184] Kalın stated after the first meeting in Ankara that the process would not progress until Turkey's expectations were met and they did not feel any time pressure on them.[185] After a delegation consisting of Swedish and Finnish diplomats held talks on the matter with its Turkish counterparts, Erdoğan repeated that he would not consent to their accession bid as the same day the talks were held in Ankara,Salih Muslim, who is considered a terrorist by Erdoğan, appeared onSwedish television.[186][187]Nationalist Movement Party leaderDevlet Bahçeli suggested that a scenario in which Turkey would leave NATO should be considered an option,[188] in which case a new military alliance could be founded.[189] In late May 2022, opposition leaderKemal Kılıçdaroğlu argued that in case the accession row persisted and AKP and MHP decided to close theInçirlik Air Base, the CHP would support this.[189]
At the2022 Madrid summit on 28 June, Niinistö, Swedish Prime MinisterMagdalena Andersson, and Erdoğan signed an agreement to address Turkey's security concerns,[190][191] and Niinistö announced that Turkey had agreed to support membership of NATO for Finland and Sweden.[192] In June 2022, Finnish PresidentSauli Niinistö announced inMadrid, after the agreement with Turkey, that Finland does not see theYPG as a terrorist organization and that Finland will continue to support the YPG.[193] The accession process began the following day, with the unanimous agreement of NATO members to formally invite the countries to join.[194] Negotiations were held on 4 July 2022, and the Accession Protocols were signed in Brussels on 5 July 2022.[195] However, Erdogan reiterated his threat to veto their membership, stating that he expected the applicant countries to meet their obligations under the agreement before theTurkish Grand National Assembly would consider approving their accession protocol.[196][197] On 9 August 2022, U.S. PresidentJoe Biden signed and approved the decision for Finland and Sweden to apply for membership in NATO.[198] Finland, Sweden and Turkey held their first trilateral memorandum meeting on 26 August 2022 inVantaa, Finland.[199][200] The second memorandum meeting between Finland, Sweden and Turkey was held on 25 November 2022 inStockholm, Sweden.[201][202]
On 26 August 2022, Jukka Salovaara, chief negotiator responsible for Finland's NATO membership, said in a statement after the tripartite memorandum meeting in Vantaa that they are in deep consensus with Turkey.[203] On 8 December 2022, at a press conference he gave with his Turkish counterpartHulusi Akar during his visit to Turkey, Finnish Defense MinisterAntti Kaikkonen stated that Finland has always condemned terrorism and that Finland is in full solidarity with Turkey in the fight against terrorism.[204][205] By November, Finland's NATO membership had been ratified by 28 out of 30 member states, with only Hungary and Turkey yet to complete their procedures. On 24 November 2022, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that he supported Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO, promising Hungary will ratify NATO membership in January.[206] The United States informally held up a Turkish purchase ofF-16 fighter jets because of the Finnish and Swedish NATO membership issue.[207] During the process of application, Swedenheld elections resulting in a center-right government that pledged to continue the NATO process, reaffirming a united front with Finland's application, and suggesting that they would be more able to meet Turkish requirements.[208]
On 8 January 2023, Finland's Minister of Foreign Affairs,Pekka Haavisto, told reporters that "Finland is not in such a rush to join NATO that we can't wait for Sweden to get the green light". Haavisto also stated that representatives from the Swedish and Finnish parliaments were expected to visit Ankara in January, with another meeting between the three countries scheduled for the spring.[209] On 23 January 2023, Turkish Defense MinisterHulusi Akar announced that Turkey had fully fulfilled the Turkey–Finland–Sweden tripartite memorandum, while Finland and Sweden did not, and that Turkey expected them to comply.[210] On 24 January 2023, Haavisto announced that the trilateral memorandum talks with Finland, Sweden and Turkey would likely be suspended until after theparliamentary andpresidential elections in Turkey.[211] The third meeting of the Finland, Sweden, and Turkey tripartite memorandum was to be held inBrussels, the capital of Belgium, in February, but the Finland, Sweden and Turkey tripartite memorandum meetings were canceled indefinitely upon Turkey's request.[212][213] On 29 January 2023, Turkish PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that he had requested the extradition of 130 suspected individuals in order for Finland and Sweden to be approved for NATO membership.[214] In late January, Finland lifted its embargo on weapons exports to Turkey.[215] On 1 February 2023, PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that Turkey had a positive view of Finland's NATO membership, but not Sweden's NATO membership, due to Sweden allowing a demonstration by far-right politicianRasmus Paludan, where he had burnt theQuran.[216]
In March 2023, Jens Stoltenberg pushed for Hungary and Turkey to finalize the accession of Finland and Sweden by the July summit.[217] Hungary's Orban stated in March that while he and his partyFidesz supported NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, he objected to their support for the EU's freezing of funds for Hungary due to concerns about rule-of-law and corruption. Orban said "it's not right for them to ask us to take them on board while they're spreading blatant lies about Hungary, about the rule of law in Hungary, about democracy, about life here".[218] A Hungarian delegation was sent to both countries to discuss the issue.[219][220] The third meeting of the tripartite memorandum between Finland, Sweden and Turkey was held inBrussels, Belgium, on 9 March 2023.[221][222][223] The fourth meeting of the tripartite memorandum between Finland, Sweden and Turkey was held on 14 June 2023 inAnkara, the capital of Turkey.[224] The fifth meeting of the tripartite memorandum between Finland, Sweden and Turkey was held on 6 July 2023 in Brussels, Belgium.[225] The sixth meeting of the tripartite memorandum between Finland, Sweden and Turkey was held on 2 May 2024 inHelsinki, Finland.[226] On 15 March 2023, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö announced that Turkey had made a decision on Finland's application and had invited him to meet with President Erdoğan in Ankara, with both Erdoğan and Turkish officials indicating that Finland's application would be approved. Turkish officials stated that it was "highly likely" that Finland's application would be approved in mid-April, prior to theTurkish general election. Turkish officials also stated that Finland's bid would be approved independently from that of Sweden.[227] Erdoğan publicly announced on 17 March that he would drop his opposition to Finland joining the military alliance, stating a goal of formalizing the ratification of Finland's entry into NATO prior to the2023 Turkish general election.[228]On 10 May 2023, Finnish Foreign MinisterPekka Haavisto, in an interview with the German magazineTagesspiegel, stated that Turkey considers theYPG as a terrorist organization, but Finland does not see it as a terrorist organization.[229]
While Finland's Marin originally stated that it was "very important for us, of course, that Finland and Sweden would join NATO hand in hand," with Turkey continuing to raise concerns with Sweden and anApril election due in Finland the Finnish government decided to proceed independently if all NATO members approved their membership.[230][231][232] On 1 March 2023, theParliament of Finland approved Finland's accession to NATO by a vote of 184 in favor and 7 opposed.[233] On 23 March 2023, thePresident of Finland,Sauli Niinistö, gave the presidential assent by signing the Finnish ratification.[234]
On 17 March 2023, it was announced that Hungary's legislature would vote on the ratification of Finland's NATO accession on 27 March 2023, and that parliamentarians of the ruling party,Fidesz, would unanimously support Finland's accession to NATO.[235] On 27 March 2023, the Hungarian parliament approved Finland's bid.[236]
On 31 March 2023, the Turkish parliament approved Finland's NATO accession, clearing its way to join the alliance.[237] On 1 April 2023, Erdoğan formally signed and approved the Turkish parliament's decision to ratify Finnish NATO membership.[238] Kurdish political parties in Turkey, thePeoples' Democratic Party (HDP), abstained from voting on Finland's membership in March 2023, and thePeoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) abstained and voted against Sweden's membership in January 2024.[239][240] On 4 April 2023, Turkish Foreign MinisterMevlüt Çavuşoğlu delivered the document of approval for Finland's participation to U.S. Secretary of StateAntony Blinken in Brussels.[241]
^Robert Winnicki (Confederation) later released a statement saying that he had erroneously opposed the proposition, believing it to be a vote on a different item of legislation.[295] Winnicki had voted to approve Sweden's accession on the same day.
Finland became an official member of the alliance on 4 April 2023, exactly 74 years after the signing of theNorth Atlantic Treaty which established NATO.[5] The flag of Finland was raised simultaneously atNATO headquarters inBrussels, atSHAPE inMons, and at theJFC-NF headquarters inNorfolk, Virginia, while the Finnish national anthem was played.[318] Reacting to Finland's accession, Russia said it would increase its forces along theFinland–Russia border if NATO sends troops to Finland.[6] Stoltenberg said there would be no NATO troops stationed in Finland without the consent of the Finnish government.[5]
On 1 March 2024,Alexander Stubb, a staunch supporter of NATO, was sworn in as Finland's new president.[320] On 7 March 2024, Stubb made his first foreign trip as Finland's new president to NATO'sNordic Response military exercise in northern Norway.[321] On 7 March 2024, neighbouring Sweden finally became a member of NATO.[322]
In September 2024, it was announced that Finland would host two NATO headquarters.Mikkeli is expected to be announced as the headquarters for the Northern European land command unit while the multinational forward land force (FLF) will be based in eitherRovaniemi orSodankylä inFinnish Lapland.[324]
US Secretary of State Blinken exchanges instruments of ratification with Finland at NATO Headquarters. At the same time allNATO Articles entered into force in Finland
^"Hlasování Poslanecké sněmovny – 33/81" [Vote of the Chamber of Deputies – 33/81].Parliament of the Czech Republic (in Czech). 27 August 2022.Archived from the original on 27 August 2022. Retrieved27 August 2022.
^"Senát PČR – Pořad 28. schůze Senátu, 20. hlasování" [Senate of the Czech Republic – Agenda of the 28th meeting of the Senate, 20th vote].Senate of the Czech Republic – official website (in Czech). 10 August 2022.Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved10 August 2022.
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