Explained: A Turkish Delight after Bear Scare; Decoding Finland’s NATO Entry Against Russian Will

Ruling party members pose for photos before Turkish lawmakers voted in favor of Finland’s bid to join NATO.

Photo : AP

Brussels: Finland is all set to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) on Tuesday. Moscow, amidst a blood-soaked invasion of Ukraine, is closely watching the development. As the Nordic country is all set to become the 31st member of the influential alliance, here is why it is a significant political development for Europe.

A dream comes true: Finland’s association with NATO is three decades old. The country joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace in 1994 and sent men to take part in NATO-led operations in Afghanistan, and Iraq among other places. In 2014, Finland and Sweden reportedly became NATO’s Enhanced Opportunity Partners.

What was the delay? ANS: The Turkish hurdle: All NATO members must vote unanimously to admit a new country into the alliance. For a long time, the mighty Ankara stood between Finland and NATO.Turkey was against granting NATO membership to Sweden and Finland as the two Nordic nations’ pro-YPG stance. Both countries openly support the People’s Protection Units (YPG) – an armed Kurdish militia group. The YPG is linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – a sworn enemy of the Turkish State.

However, the Erdogan government decided to lift its objection after Finland agreed to alter their approach with the Kurdish organisations. Helsinki reportedly also agreed to lift its restrictions on arms sales to Ankara.

What is the emergency/ What changed? ANS: The invasion of Ukraine: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine made the Finnish people rethink their conventional non-alignment stand. The small nation shares a 1,300km (800-mile) border with Russia. What if Putin decides to come for them next, they worry. A February poll suggested 82 per cent were happy with the decision to join the alliance, according to the AFP news agency.

The strategic side – Why is Russia concerned? The most significant impact of Finland’s admission to NATO would be the stretching of the organisation’s border with Russia.

Russia had earlier demanded a permanent ban on any new members of NATO, reports said. This is because Vladimir Putin is concerned with NATO’s expansion closer to his country’s boundaries. Although Putin had declared Russia is not threatened by the membership bid of either Finland or Sweden, he has warned them about becoming bases for NATO forces or equipment.

What’s next? Turkey on Tuesday will hand its acceptance letter for Finland’s accession to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at NATO headquarters in Brussels. The United States is the depositary, or safekeeper, of NATO under the alliance’s 1949 founding treaty. Once Finland’s membership acceptance document is handed over, the country will officially become a NATO member.