Finland reject to join NATO without Sweden

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said that Finland would not join NATO without Sweden if Stockholm's membership was delayed due to Turkey's position.

Recall that both countries applied to join NATO on May 18 because of fears for their security after the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine. However, Turkey opposed the admission of the Scandinavian countries into a military alliance, accusing them of supporting Kurdish groups, which are considered terrorist in Turkey. In addition, earlier Sweden and Finland imposed sanctions against the republic.

Turkey's objections came as a surprise to the Finnish authorities, but they recognized that Ankara's demands are quite legitimate and deserve the most serious attention. As it is known, none of the NATO allies suffered from more terrorist attacks than Turkey.

At the end of June, a NATO summit will be held in Madrid, at which the parties will continue discussing the issue, taking into account the requirements of the Turkish authorities.