Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson announced at a joint press conference in Stockholm, today, that their governments would apply together for NATO membership at the military alliance’s headquarters in Brussels on May 18. “Previously, both [Finland and Sweden] and Russia thought that our non-alignment contributed to stability, but when Russia said that we weren’t allowed to apply for NATO membership, that changed,” Niinistö claimed, reported the Yle broadcaster. “It meant that we had to do something, and after February 24 [the first day of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine], it became clear what we needed to do.”
Andersson said, “Membership strengthens security for Sweden and the Baltic Sea region. The fact that we are doing this together means that we can contribute to security in northern Europe and take part in comprehensive Nordic cooperation,”
