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Finland, Sweden mull NATO entry amid Russia's war on Ukraine

13.04.2022 20:00
Finland and Sweden are seriously considering applying for NATO membership and expect to make the final decisions later this spring, news outlets reported on Wednesday, the 49th day of Russia's war against Ukraine.
Magdalena Andersson and Sanna Marin meet in Stockholm on Wednesday.
Magdalena Andersson and Sanna Marin meet in Stockholm on Wednesday.Photo: EPA/PAUL WENNERHOLM

Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Wednesday that her country would make a decision about whether to apply to join the 30-member Western military alliance in the next few weeks, the Reuters news agency reported.

"There are different perspectives to apply for NATO membership or not to apply, and we have to analyze these very carefully," Marin was quoted as saying.

"But I think our process will be quite fast; it will happen in weeks," she told reporters at a joint news conference in Stockholm with her Swedish counterpart Magdalena Andersson.

Sweden's Andersson said a thorough analysis was needed of whether her country should seek NATO membership, according to Reuters.

"There are of course pros and cons with being a member of NATO as there are pros and cons of other security choices," she told reporters.

Sweden is reviewing its security policy and expects to announce conclusions at the end of next month, Reuters reported.

According to Polish website tysol.pl, Andersson wants her country to become a member of NATO by the end of June.

This could happen at the alliance's upcoming summit in Madrid on June 29-30, tysol.pl reported, citing Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet.

(gs)

Source: tysol.pl, Reuters