Finnish president sees risks related to NATO membership

I understand very well that, for example, (membership in) NATO can seem as if our fears are gone. But all the different alternatives have risks that we must take into account. At the moment, the biggest danger is the escalation of the situation in Europe, he says in an interview.

Other alternatives to increasing Finland’s security may also run the risk of escalation, Sauli Niinisto tells the Financial Times.

He says the main alternative to NATO membership is deepening defense cooperation with the United States and Sweden.

In the interview, Sauli Niinisto said he did not want to link the concern about the escalation of the security situation in Europe with the way Finland should act on the issue.

If there is an escalation, it will have a huge impact on everyone. That’s why I want to stress the risks of escalation, without linking it to Finland’s actions or the decision-making process, he told the Financial Times.

The article attracted a lot of attention. Later, Niinistö explained that the headline, which indicated that he believed Finland’s NATO membership in and of itself increased the risk of an escalation, was misleading.

according to Survey conducted by the Finnish public service company YLE 62% of Finns support NATO membership. This is a sharp increase since the invasion of Ukraine.

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson (S) also expressed concern that an application to join NATO would destabilize the security situation.

Moderate leader Ulf Christerson declared otherwise Intends to apply for NATO membership If he becomes prime minister, provided there is a majority in the Swedish parliament to apply.