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Two newspapers — one Swedish and the other Finnish — are reporting that the governments of Sweden and Finland have agreed to submit NATO applications at the same time and that it will happen in the middle of next month.
The Finnish newspaper
Iltalehti said that the Swedish government has expressed a wish to Finland
that they apply together in the week ending May 22, and Swedish government sources confirmed the information to Sweden's
Expressen tabloid.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led to growing support in Sweden and Finland, a Russian neighbor, for joining NATO.
Though not members, both Nordic countries closely cooperate with NATO, allowing, among other things, the alliance's troops to exercise on their soil. Helsinki and Stockholm have also substantially intensified their bilateral defense cooperation in the past years.
Comment: Protection promises to Sweden and Finland:
The US and UK have given Sweden "concrete promises" of military protection between its application to join NATO and its formal acceptance into the alliance, Aftonbladet reported on Monday. Although neutral since the 19th century, Sweden is reportedly preparing to abandon its policy of non-alignment and join the US-led military bloc this year.
Politicians in Stockholm have long flirted with the idea, but Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said earlier this month that Europe's "security landscape has completely changed" following Russia's military offensive on Ukraine, and that Sweden would reevaluate its neutrality in response.
Should Sweden apply for membership, the UK and US have promised to provide military protection between application and membership, after which the alliance's mutual defense clause would come into effect.
One source said that while NATO members are forbidden from expressing any formal guarantees of protection to non-members, they would still be able to take informal measures like stationing troops in Sweden, hosting military exercises, and offering "political support."
"In practice, Sweden will be treated as a full-fledged NATO member shortly after a declaration of interest."
The UK has specifically offered to increase its naval presence in Swedish waters during the application process.
Russia has warned that the inclusion of Sweden and Finland in NATO would have "military and political consequences," and would threaten stability in Europe. Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and current deputy chair of the Russian National Security Council, said earlier this month that Russia would have to strengthen its forces in the region in response, and suggested that the Baltic area would not remain "nuclear-free" if the Nordic nations joined NATO.
Finland welcomes NATO for war games:
NATO members Latvia, Estonia, and the Netherlands will hold joint naval exercises with Finland in the Baltic Sea, Helsinki has confirmed, noting the drills will focus on "mine countermeasures."
The wargames will be held between Thursday and Friday following a visit to Turku, Finland by NATO's Mine Action Division. The drills will include a Latvian mine-laying vessel and mine-sweepers from Estonia and the Netherlands. Coastal Fleet's chief of staff, Commander Mikko Villikari, said
"The main goal of the exercise is to search for and identify underwater objects. In these exercises, we learn to work as part of a group that we do not regularly interact with. It helps to maintain international expertise."
Two Katanpaa-class mine-hunters from Finland's fleet will also take part in the training.
The Finnish military said the wargames will be carried out somewhere in the Archipelago Sea within the Baltic, located 330 miles (540km) from the Russian city of St. Petersburg. Moscow, which shares an 830-mile (1,340km) border with Finland, has warned such a move could force it to "restore military balance" in the Baltic region.
We shall see how this all works out. Optimism does not apply.
Comment: Protection promises to Sweden and Finland: Finland welcomes NATO for war games: We shall see how this all works out. Optimism does not apply.