After Finland and Sweden decided to apply for NATO membership, Finnish President Niinistö began a two-day visit to Sweden on the 17th. On May 18, local time, Finland and Sweden submitted an application letter to join NATO, which was personally received by NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said through a spokesman that the application to join any coalition organization is a sovereign decision of each country and the United Nations cannot interfere.
The Parliament of Finland agreed to apply for "accession" and Sweden signed the application for "accession"
Starting on the 17th, Finnish President Niinistö paid a two-day visit to Sweden. Niinistö traveled in a carriage with King Karl XVI Gustav of Sweden in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, to the palace. The two said the meeting was mainly to discuss the two countries' accession to NATO.
Niinistö later addressed the Swedish parliament. He said that the attitude of Turkey has changed greatly before and after finland and Sweden join NATO, but he believes that through constructive discussions, it is possible to reach an agreement with Turkey.
Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he did not support Finland and Sweden joining NATO, accusing the two countries of providing shelter for the PKK, which was identified by Turkey as a terrorist organization. Turkey's opposition came as a surprise to many NATO members.
Niinistö also met with Swedish Prime Minister Anderson on the same day, and the two held a press conference together. Anderson said that Sweden will submit an application for "accession" with Finland on the 18th, stressing that Sweden supports the fight against all forms of terrorism, is ready to discuss and resolve any issues with Turkey, and also looks forward to cooperating with Turkey after becoming a member of NATO.
Niinistö said he would discuss the timetable for the signing of the treaty with US President Joe Biden, and he also mentioned that when he informed Russian President Putin of Finland's decision to apply for NATO, Putin's unusually relaxed attitude surprised him.
The Finnish parliament voted on whether Finland should apply to join NATO on the 17th, and finally passed overwhelmingly with 188 votes in favor of 8 against. Finnish Foreign Minister Javisto said there was no reason to celebrate the decision because of the ongoing war in Europe. He pointed out that even if it joins NATO, it will not change Finland's concept of always seeking a peaceful solution and a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
Once parliament agrees, President Niinistö will sign Finland's decision to join NATO, which means Finland will formally submit its application to NATO.
Earlier in the day, Swedish Foreign Minister Lind had formally signed Sweden's application to join NATO. She said it is expected that it will take up to a year to approve and become a member of NATO.
Reporter Connect: The Finnish president visits Sweden ten years later to consolidate the friendship between the two sides
How to interpret the meaning behind Ninisto's visit? Look at the on-site report sent back from Helsinki, the capital of Finland, earlier by Zhu Youting, a special reporter of Phoenix Satellite TV.
On the 17th, Finnish President Niinistö and First Lady Hoggio visited Sweden. According to media observations, the visit is absolutely symbolic, and Finnish experts believe that the name of the meeting of heads of state will be confirmed, because since Finland and Sweden decided to apply for NATO, public opinion has been around the two countries, and the adoption of the meeting has spiritual significance and a deep sense of belonging. And the Finnish president personally came to Sweden to show the friendship between the two countries, ten years before the last visit to Sweden by the Finnish president.
Finnish President Niinistö's speech in the Swedish parliament was titled "A Responsible, Stable and Strong Nordic Region", and the Finnish media quoted experts as saying that the topic may not have been decided six months ago, until then, Finland's NATO position was decided by Sweden, and this time, on the contrary, it was the Finnish solution that affected Sweden.
Last week, Sweden's Evening News and Express published an editorial in Finnish titled "Thanks to NATO's Aid, Big Brother Finland," which also mentioned Finland's courage and calmness. This is a big difference for Finland, and there has been a change in the status of the country on this issue between the two countries. However, according to media analysis, the Swedish people should not think that Finland is exerting pressure on Sweden to join NATO together, because the Swedish people are very clear that no matter what their decision is, Finland will always apply to join.
In the course of the Finnish Parliament's speech, the opposing Finnish parliamentarians are most concerned about whether nuclear weapons will be placed in Finland's territory, and Finland's defense minister has also told the parliamentarians that they will not put them in the additional conditions for joining NATO, but they are willing to make an independent declaration.
United Nations: The application to join NATO is a sovereign decision of each country
UnCom Secretary-General Guterres said through a spokesman on the 17th that the United Nations cannot interfere with the news that Finland and Sweden have applied to join NATO, and whether to join any alliance or organization is the sovereign decision of all countries. However, the United Nations also stressed that the primary task of the United Nations at this stage is still focused on helping to cool down the situation, increasing humanitarian assistance, and hoping to end the Russian-Ukrainian conflict as soon as possible.
U.N. diplomats revealed that Turkey is pressuring Sweden and Finland to lift restrictions on arms sales to Turkey and help fight Against Kurdish militant groups. Turkey, as a NATO member, is likely to cast a crucial vote on whether the two countries can join NATO.
In addition, the Ukrainian side announced on the 16th that the Ukrainian troops stationed at the Azov Steel Plant in Mariupol have begun to withdraw, and it is estimated that 600 seriously injured Ukrainian troops are trapped in the steel plant. The United Nations said on the 17th that the United Nations was not involved in the evacuation of soldiers, after the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross had participated in the evacuation of civilians.
Source: Phoenix TV Information Station
Edit: Mu Mu