Military Space News
SUPERPOWERS
Turkey becomes last NATO nation to ratify Finland membership
Turkey becomes last NATO nation to ratify Finland membership
By Burcin GERCEK
Ankara (AFP) March 30, 2023

Turkey on Thursday became the final NATO nation to ratify Finland's membership of the US-led defence alliance in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Lawmakers unanimously backed the Nordic country's accession two weeks after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly blessed the bid.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the ratification, saying on Twitter it would "make the whole NATO family stronger and safer."

Turkey's approval leaves Finland -- which has a 1,300-kilometre (800-mile) border with Russia -- with only a few technical steps before it becomes the 31st member of the world's most powerful military bloc.

Officials expect the process to be completed as early as next week.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto thanked NATO's member states for "their trust and support."

"Finland will be a strong and capable ally, committed to the security of the alliance," he said in a statement released on Twitter.

Finland and its neighbour Sweden ended decades of military nonalignment and decided to join NATO last May.

Their applications were accepted at a June alliance summit that was designed to show the Western world's desire to stand up to Russia in the face of Europe's most grave conflict since World War II.

But the bids still needed to be ratified by all the members' parliaments -- a process that stalled with Turkey and Hungary.

- 'Ample grievances' -

Erdogan put up stiff resistance to Sweden's candidacy because of a series of long-standing disputes.

He first signaled his more supportive stance on Finland's membership in January -- a position that forced the Nordic neighbours to bow to the diplomatic pressure and break up their bids so that both applications were not delayed.

The Hungarian parliament ratified Finland's NATO membership on Monday. It was expected to approve Sweden's accession during the current session ending June 15.

But a spokesman for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Wednesday called on Sweden to "clear the air" and address "an ample amount of grievances" for the vote to go ahead.

Sweden has upset Orban -- one of Europe's closest allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin -- by expressing alarm over the rule of law in Hungary.

It has also angered Turkey by refusing to extradite dozens of suspects that Erdogan links to a failed 2016 coup attempt and a decades-long Kurdish fight for an independent state.

Stockholm still hopes to join the alliance in time for a July summit in Vilnius.

Most analysts believe that Turkey will only vote on Sweden's candidacy after the country's May general election.

- 'Legitimate target' -

NATO was created as a counterweight to the Soviet Union at the onset of the Cold War era that began immediately after the Allies defeated Nazi Germany.

The bloc has gone through waves of expansion that brought it ever closer to Russia's borders.

NATO's reach into east and south European countries that were once under Moscow's effective control infuriated the Kremlin and created growing strains in its relations with Washington.

Putin cited the threat of NATO expanding into Ukraine as one of his main reasons for launching the war 13 months ago.

But the conflict has had the opposite geopolitical effect from the one envisioned by Putin.

Ukraine is now receiving tanks and other heavy weapons from NATO members that it hopes to use in a new counteroffensive planned for the coming weeks or months.

Finland never seriously discussed NATO membership until Putin went to war.

The Kremlin at first appeared to play down the significance of the bloc reaching a new stretch of Russia's northwestern frontier.

But Russia has stepped up its diplomatic rhetoric in recent weeks.

Stockholm this week summoned the Russian ambassador after he said Sweden and Finland would become a "legitimate target" of "retaliatory measures" -- including military ones -- if they join NATO.

Putin last weekend also announced plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus.

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
SUPERPOWERS
Saudi agrees to partner with China-led security bloc
Riyadh (AFP) March 29, 2023
Saudi Arabia has agreed to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a "dialogue partner", state media reported on Wednesday, the latest indication of closer political ties with China. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established in 2001 as a political, economic and security organisation to rival Western institutions. Besides China, its eight members include India, Pakistan and Russia, as well as four central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. ... read more

SUPERPOWERS
Ukraine forces complete Patriot training in US: Pentagon

PAC-3 flight test paves the way for new Patriot software release

Reagan's 'Star Wars' at 40: Battle of the satellites

Russia to modernise Moscow's air defence systems

SUPERPOWERS
Raytheon Technologies selected by US Navy for anti-ship strike weapon

Partnering and integration speeds delivery of a hypersonic missile

Russia says fired anti-ship missiles at mock target in Sea of Japan

Lockheed Martin Developing Long Range Maneuverable Fires Missile For US Army

SUPERPOWERS
US Army selects Northrop Grumman and Shield AI team for tactical UAV prototype

New algorithm keeps drones from colliding in midair

Airbus achieves in-flight autonomous guidance and control of a drone from a tanker aircraft

14 dead in US strikes on Syria after drone kills American contractor

SUPERPOWERS
Northrop Grumman demonstrates platform agnostic in-flight connectivity for USAF

Silvus Technologies unveils Spectrum Dominance

Rensselaer researcher breaks through the clouds to advance satellite communication

Space Systems Command demonstrates satellite anti-jam capability

SUPERPOWERS
Top US general warns of high ammo use in event of major war

Kyiv orders 100 armoured vehicles from Poland: PM

From rockets to tanks: how the West armed Ukraine

UK defence minister would 'love' to draw on expert reservists

SUPERPOWERS
Biden says China 'hasn't yet' delivered arms to Russia

'Guns and Roses': Bulgaria arms trade booms on Ukraine war

Slovakia offered $1bn in US arms in trade-off for Ukraine aid

NATO chief warns allies must boost defence spending

SUPERPOWERS
Ukraine is 'determining factor' in China-EU ties: EU chief

NATO chief says Finland to become member 'in coming days'

Macron to warn China against backing Russia; Spain urges Xi to hold Zelensky talks

China says Honduran leader to visit 'as soon as possible'

SUPERPOWERS
Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.