Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden have been considering applying for membership of the NATO military alliance, which would mark a major policy shift for the Nordic region.
Here is the latest about the process and the key points under discussion.The coming days are crucial. On May 12, Finland will decide to apply for NATO membership, newspaper Iltalehti reported on Sunday, citing anonymous Finnish government sources. It would come in two steps, Iltalehti reported. President Sauli Niinisto would first announce his approval for Finland to join, followed by parliamentary groups giving their approval for the application.
Finland and Sweden would like to have some guarantees that NATO member nations would defend them during any transition period, when they would be applicants to the alliance, but not yet in.Ratification can take a year, NATO diplomats say, as parliaments of all 30 NATO countries need to approve new members.NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said the countries could join"quickly" and that he was sure arrangements could be found for the interim period.
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