Sweden and Finland set to join NATO in May

[Middle-aged Europe]

A bit of a misleading thread title. They're not joining in May, they're applying to join.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Sorry, got attrac..., um, distracted by Sanna Marin there for a minute.



Ayway, good decision by Finland. How ironic that Putin achieves the opposite of what he intended to achieve. But that's often the case with old men who are glued to the past, I guess.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Peskov says admission of Finland to NATO warrants a "symmetrical response" by Russia.

Wtf is this supposed to mean? They'll try to find a neutral, neighbouring country that wants to form a military alliance with them at this point?

[Middle-aged Europe]

https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1525140318487826433

[Middle-aged Europe]

Ukraine has a massive Nazi problem but the West doesn't care because they hate Russia more.

You haven't provided any facts to back up that claim (just like the Russian government usually does), so I'll just say that reality unfortunately disagrees with.

Okay, I just don't leave it that, because here's a fact: The ultranationalist "Svobod" party which notoriously was a junior member in the Ukrainian government back in 2014, has held only a single seat in the 450-member strong Ukrainian parliament since the last legislative election in 2019.

[Middle-aged Europe]

NATO should just call Erdogan's bluff IMO. If he really wants Turkey to become the one country to veto Sweden's and Finland's membership then he should just go ahead and find out what it means to effectively move your country towards a pro-Putin position in the current world order.

[Middle-aged Europe]

The dictator of Turkey doubles down on his opposition to Sweden's und Finland's NATO memberships.


https://twitter.com/AlArabiya_Eng/status/1526252639046057991

[Middle-aged Europe]

Cancel culture gone wrong! Erdogan cancels the Greek PM:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61562305

"There's no longer anyone called Mitsotakis in my book," Mr Erdogan told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

[Middle-aged Europe]

We said that about Putin until early this year.

Maybe Erdogan figures that a truly "neutral" Turkey is the best way going forward for his country in a US/EU/UK vs. China/Russia Cold War 2.0 kind of world... which would include leaving NATO. That would be my explanation unless, which perhaps is even likelier, it's just sabre-rattling because Erdogan is sh**tting his pants due to the prospect of getting ousted by the CHP next year.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Ah great, Erdogan has finally figured that he has played the "Turkey Türkiye First!" macho tough guy for his domestic base long enough.

[Middle-aged Europe]

And just like that, everyone that was screaming about Trump abandoning the Kurds, forgot the Kurds..

That's precisely the music Magdalena Andersson has to face in Sweden right now. Not that you probably care about that since it doesn't happen to be about Trump/Biden.     

[Middle-aged Europe]

I suppose the Kurds are used to it by now, what an unfortunate people.

Once Sweden and Finland have been admitted they don't really need to honor the deal anymore, don't they?

[Middle-aged Europe]

So around what date/time will Finland and Sweden OFFICIALLY become NATO members?

Yesterday I read an assessment that the process could take six to eight months, perhaps less.

So early 2023, probably.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Erdotroll is feeling gracious, Finland accession impending.


https://mobile.twitter.com/Reuters/status/1636073618890190851


https://mobile.twitter.com/guardian/status/1636075989942915074

[Middle-aged Europe]

https://twitter.com/AP/status/1636743600657580034

[Middle-aged Europe]

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

[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...

[Middle-aged Europe]

Anything actually happening regarding Sweden any time soon?

Olaf Scholz has recently said that he expects Sweden to be a member by the next NATO leaders' summit in July... which will be almost exactly two months after the first round of the Turkish presidential election.

Until then we're doomed to play charades with Erdotroll.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Curious... I doubt Ireland is under thread, but it seems to be the last European country that I'm kind of curious why it hasn't joined. The others are just Ukraine/Belarus/Moldova/Russia, a few former Yugoslavian countries already surrounded/protected by NATO, neutral Swtizerland also surrounded/protected by NATO, and I think that's Austria? Maybe Austria is the only other country I'm curious why... but it's also surrounded/protected by NATO.

Austria and Ireland also have political traditions of neutrality similar to Switzerland's. Ireland remained neutral in World War II and Austrian neutrality was a prerequisite for regaining sovereignty from the Allies after WWII.

[Middle-aged Europe]

If Turkey were a stable democracy (that looked like it would stay that way in the long-term) I would hypothetically support admitting them to the EU. That's pretty hypothetical though.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Wait, what, Turkey approves NATO membership for Sweden? What is this? 2022?

[Middle-aged Europe]

On Monday it's time to pack out the Köttbullar, because the Hungarian parliament will finally ratify Sweden's NATO membership:

https://apnews.com/article/hungary-sweden-nato-82e23abfcb355e6ecd791544cfb034b8