“We are now discussing whether we should become a member of Nato or not,” Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in an exclusive interview with Nikkei Asia earlier this week, adding the country will make a decision probably “this month”.
Local media reported the decision could come as soon as Thursday, citing anonymous government sources.
Finland shares a 1,300km border with Russia and Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine has pushed Helsinki to rethink its neutral status.
Stopping short of a definitive answer, she seemed to hint the country was leaning toward joining the group, saying, “I can say that everything has changed because of Russia’s actions in Ukraine.”
According to a survey by national broadcaster YLE taken after Russia’s invasion, the majority of Finnish people support joining Nato.
“From the Finnish point of view, as a neighbouring country, if Russia violates international law and doesn’t respect an independent country’s autonomy, sovereignty and integrity, we cannot have the same relationship with Russia we had before,” Marin said.
Meanwhile, the Finnish leader reiterated that she was in favour of further sanctions against Russia to limit President Vladimir Putin’s war chest.
“We have to support Ukraine, providing weapons, humanitarian and financial aid, to make sure that they can fight and they are in charge of their own future,” she said, adding “at the same time, we have to impose heavy sanctions on Russia to make the war as expensive for Russia as possible”.
The European Union is currently debating tougher sanctions on Russian oil and gas, dividing member states along the lines of countries that rely on Russian fuel for power generation and heating.
However, not sanctioning Russia’s energy sector is tantamount to financing its military, Marin said, though she acknowledged such sanctions are difficult for countries reliant on Russian energy sources.
She added that Finland is willing to help those countries reduce their burden on energy procurement.
Regarding China’s ambiguity on the war, Marin said, “It is important that China condemns Russia’s actions frankly, openly and straightforwardly.”
China implementing sanctions on Russia would be a crucial step toward ending the war, she said.
The interview was held ahead of her visit to Japan, Marin’s first official trip to Asia that begins next week. She will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to discuss future ties between the countries as well as cooperation on international issues.
While bilateral relations are the main purpose of the trip, it will also be an opportunity to raise the issue of the security situation in Europe and Ukraine, Marin said.