Nato Suggests Finland and Sweden Could Join Alliance Separately as Turkey Blocks Joint Membership Bid

Nato has openly acknowledged that Finland and Sweden could potentially join the military alliance separately, marking a significant shift in the organization’s official stance. Previously, Nato had insisted that the two Nordic countries should join as a pair, but Turkey's dispute with Stockholm has put this on hold. The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has indicated that he would ratify Finland's Nato membership but not Sweden's, accusing Stockholm of harbouring Kurdish activists and allowing a Koran to be burnt in front of Turkey's embassy in the Swedish capital.

In response to the ongoing dispute, Nato officials are now willing to allow Helsinki to proceed with its application without Sweden. “The main question is that they are both ratified as full members as soon as possible. And I’m confident that both will be full members, and are working hard to get both ratified as soon as possible," said Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. Both countries are in a better security position than they were before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost a year ago.

While senior Finnish officials have publicly committed themselves to joining with Sweden, they acknowledge that it would be unthinkable for Finland to refuse Nato membership if Turkey only ratifies Helsinki's application. With a 1300km long border with Russia, the longest of any EU country, Nato diplomats consider it critical that Finland be admitted to the alliance as soon as possible, even if it means leaving Sweden behind.

The US officials have expressed hope that both Finland and Sweden will join Nato by the time leaders meet in Vilnius before the summer, if not before. They are less concerned about the exact sequencing of the countries' admission to the alliance. "We're not so much focused on who goes when or how, that's really up to those countries. But we are very focused on making this happen as soon as possible," said a senior administration official.

In conclusion, this development represents a significant change in the diplomatic landscape of the region, and a reflection of Turkey's increasing assertiveness on the global stage. As Nato officials and member countries seek to navigate this new reality, the implications for the security and stability of the region remain to be seen.