Finnish MPs open debate on joining Nato

Finland's parliament yesterday opened a debate on whether to seek Nato membership, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine sparked a surge in political and public support for joining the military alliance. Despite Russia warning of a nuclear build-up in the Baltic should Finland and neighbouring Sweden join the military alliance, Finland's prime minister said that her country now needed to decide quickly on whether to apply for membership. "The time for solutions is here," Sanna Marin said, adding: "Unity is the best guarantee of security." She had last week said Finland's decision would happen "within weeks, not within months". Sweden is also discussing whether to submit a membership bid following Russia's February 24 invasion. The 200 MPs in Finland's Eduskunta last week received a government-commissioned "white paper" that assessed the implications of Nato membership alongside other security options, such as increased bilateral defence agreements. The report did not make recommendations but stressed that without Nato membership, Finland enjoys no security guarantees despite currently being a partner to the alliance. Public statements gathered by Finnish media suggest half of Finland's 200 MPs now support membership, while only around 12 oppose.