Sweden and Finland set to join NATO in May

[Storr]

After tomorrow we'll only need Erdogan's signature and Turkey to deposit it's ratification of Finland's accession in Washington:

Hungary's President gave assent on Tuesday.

https://twitter.com/KatalinNovakMP/status/1640707962577592320?s=20

Hungary will deposit its ratification of Finland's NATO accession tomorrow, the 31st.

https://twitter.com/HenriVanhanen/status/1640739291704836096?s=20

The latest Erdogan can wait to sign it is April 13th:

"Under Turkish law, Erdogan must sign the bill within 14 days. Finland's application then goes to Washington for the final signatures."

https://yle.fi/a/74-20025150

[CumbrianLefty]

So the thread title will be accurate after all, if a year late.

Well, at least *partly* accurate.....

[Woody]

Let's be honest, Finland and Sweden was already all but NATO in name to begin with. This is just a formality. Marin is just as much a puppet for Brussels and Washington as her predecessors were.

[ηєω ƒяσηтιєя]

Let's be honest, Finland and Sweden was already all but NATO in name to begin with. This is just a formality. Marin is just as much a puppet for Brussels and Washington as her predecessors were.

The only "puppet" is your boy Trump who was a stooge for Putin.

[Woody]

Let's be honest, Finland and Sweden was already all but NATO in name to begin with. This is just a formality. Marin is just as much a puppet for Brussels and Washington as her predecessors were.

The only "puppet" is your boy Trump who was a stooge for Putin.

You guys keep saying that, but there is no basis for this.

[Storr]

After tomorrow we'll only need Erdogan's signature and Turkey to deposit it's ratification of Finland's accession in Washington:

Hungary's President gave assent on Tuesday.

[tweet snip]

Hungary will deposit its ratification of Finland's NATO accession tomorrow, the 31st.

https://twitter.com/HenriVanhanen/status/1640739291704836096?s=20

https://twitter.com/_SzabolcsTakacs/status/1641821972303687681?s=20

[ηєω ƒяσηтιєя]

You guys keep saying that, but there is no basis for this.

And yet you baselessly claimed that Sanna Marin is a "puppet" for Brussels and Washington - which is completely false.

[TheReckoning]

Hopefully one day, Russia can be added to NATO too, once it’s proven trustworthy.

[Kahane's Grave Is A Gender-Neutral Bathroom]

Let's be honest, Finland and Sweden was already all but NATO in name to begin with. This is just a formality. Marin is just as much a puppet for Brussels and Washington as her predecessors were.

"Puppet for Washington and Brussels" sounds extremely based.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Let's be honest, Finland and Sweden was already all but NATO in name to begin with. This is just a formality. Marin is just as much a puppet for Brussels and Washington as her predecessors were.

That isn't an even remotely accurate understanding of the history of Finnish foreign policy but go off I guess.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Guys, why are you keep arguing with that Trump/Putin puppet Woodbury?

[Cassius]

Let's be honest, Finland and Sweden was already all but NATO in name to begin with. This is just a formality. Marin is just as much a puppet for Brussels and Washington as her predecessors were.

That isn't an even remotely accurate understanding of the history of Finnish foreign policy but go off I guess.

Certainly not in the days of Paasikivi and Kekkonen, but Finland has in essence been a de facto member for some years now - this just formalises the situation.

[Storr]

After tomorrow we'll only need Erdogan's signature and Turkey to deposit it's ratification of Finland's accession in Washington:

Hungary's President gave assent on Tuesday.

https://twitter.com/KatalinNovakMP/status/1640707962577592320?s=20

Hungary will deposit its ratification of Finland's NATO accession tomorrow, the 31st.

https://twitter.com/HenriVanhanen/status/1640739291704836096?s=20

The latest Erdogan can wait to sign it is April 13th:

"Under Turkish law, Erdogan must sign the bill within 14 days. Finland's application then goes to Washington for the final signatures."

https://yle.fi/a/74-20025150

"President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has confirmed the Turkish parliament's decision to ratify Finland's Nato membership, several Turkish media outlets reported on Saturday."

"Turkey must still deliver the document ratifying Finland's Nato membership to Washington, DC, where the original 1947 Nato treaty is stored. Once the Turkish document is in the custody of the US State Department, Finland will be a Nato member state."

[DavidB.]

Let's be honest, Finland and Sweden was already all but NATO in name to begin with. This is just a formality. Marin is just as much a puppet for Brussels and Washington as her predecessors were.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

I have to imagine this'll help Marin's coalition in the election tomorrow as well given how popular NATO currently is in Finland?

[Oryxslayer]

I have to imagine this'll help Marin's coalition in the election tomorrow as well given how popular NATO currently is in Finland?

I mean for a long time the mainstream-conservative NCP has led the polls cause they historically have been the (vindicated) pro-NATO party. Now across the campaign they trended downwards leading to what appears to be a close race, but passage ironically might benefit them not Marin.

[Torrain]

I have to imagine this'll help Marin's coalition in the election tomorrow as well given how popular NATO currently is in Finland?

I mean for a long time the mainstream-conservative NCP has led the polls cause they historically have been the (vindicated) pro-NATO party. Now across the campaign they trended downwards leading to what appears to be a close race, but passage ironically might benefit them not Marin.

Aye. I haven’t been following this election that closely (been a hectic month, between domestic politics and IRL), but I keep hearing people suggest that Sauli Niinistö, President of Finland, is getting most of the credit for the NATO application. While he’s an independent now, he was a member of NCP until 2012.

Also, my impression is that the right-wing parties are fairly open to NATO bases on Finnish soil, while the left-wing parties are more skeptical. So while Marin helped progress the application, she’ll struggle to “own” the victory, given parties to her right are still more open to closer ties with the alliance.

[Oryxslayer]

I have to imagine this'll help Marin's coalition in the election tomorrow as well given how popular NATO currently is in Finland?

I mean for a long time the mainstream-conservative NCP has led the polls cause they historically have been the (vindicated) pro-NATO party. Now across the campaign they trended downwards leading to what appears to be a close race, but passage ironically might benefit them not Marin.

Aye. I haven’t been following this election that closely (been a hectic month, between domestic politics and IRL), but I keep hearing people suggest that Sauli Niinistö, President of Finland, is getting most of the credit for the NATO application. While he’s an independent now, he was a member of NCP until 2012.

Also, my impression is that the right-wing parties are fairly open to NATO bases on Finnish soil, while the left-wing parties are more skeptical. So while Marin helped progress the application, she’ll struggle to “own” the victory, given parties to her right are still more open to closer ties with the alliance.

Yeah, like it's not hard to draw the conclusion that the specific timing is an attempt to influence the election. But once one understands how Finnish factionalism works, it's hard to see what such influence is attempting to produce.  The Governor's will probably include both the NCP and SDP based on polls, so changing the leader only will change a few specific policy points - bases included - and whether Marin remains at the head of the SDP. I'm sure NATO hq wouldn't like seeing the far right Finns in government or leading the popular vote, but the NCP winning means there's a chance at that and they would have a better chance at winning if it had hypothetically not been approved right before the election. Which seems contradictory to the goals of both Orban and co and the overall alliance.

[Storr]

Cope and seethe Ruskies lol

It's pretty typical Russian media coping, but it's still funny to see:

https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1642149500771876864?s=20

[Torrain]

There’s now an empty flagpole waiting, alphabetically between Estonia and France, outside NATO headquarters.

[Middle-aged Europe]

That flagpole has probably been made ready because Finland officially becomes a member tomorrow.


https://twitter.com/jensstoltenberg/status/1642867153673109505?t=EZ7UQo6FMKlV5R6...

[ηєω ƒяσηтιєя]

Awesome - just awesome!

What a colossal L for Putin & Russia and it's by their own doing. Happy to welcome Finland aboard to NATO!

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

If it had just been another month, the thread title would have been right after all for Finland.

[UWS]

Finally Finland is joining NATO. That is another step towards Kyiv’s victory by adding more pressure on Russians

The moreover that Finland has the 11th most powerful naval forces and Finland’s borders’ proximity with Saint Petersburg must make Moscow panicking

[Hindsight was 2020]

Finally Finland is joining NATO. That is another step towards Kyiv’s victory by adding more pressure on Russians

The moreover that Finland has the 11th most powerful naval forces and Finland’s borders’ proximity with Saint Petersburg must make Moscow panicking

^This^ is such a geopolitical blow to Russia interest in the Baltics and it’s all of Putin’s making