Defense Minister Ben Wallace stressed that Finland does not have to be a member of NATO.
Britain has shown readiness to help Finland in the event of armed aggression by the Russian Federation. This was stated by the Minister of Defense of the United Kingdom Ben Wallace during a visit to Helsinki.
According to the BBC, the British representative stressed that Finland and Sweden are not obliged It is essential to be a member of NATO in order to count on Allied assistance if needed.
“It is impossible for Britain not to support Finland or Sweden if they are ever attacked. And it does not depend on the existence of any major formal agreement. We are European countries and have the same values, as well as a deep, long history, “said Wallace.
Of course, the British Minister of Defense and the Finnish authorities did not miss the topic of Finland's potential accession to NATO. Prime Minister Sanna Marin said that the key position of official Helsinki will be the country's accession to the Alliance as soon as possible.
Read also: Finland must decide on May 12 application for NATO membership – media
Earlier, the Swedish Foreign Ministry, which may also become a member of NATO in the near future, stated that Finland's accession to the Alliance – practically resolved issue.
It should be noted that a few years ago the very idea of Finland's accession to NATO seemed unrealistic. But Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine has changed everything. But is NATO ready to accept a new member? After all, although Brussels is talking about an “open door” policy, this entrance turned out to be inaccessible for Ukraine. For more information on how Finns are trying to protect themselves from the Russian military threat, read Alina Gritsenko's article “Finland is one step away from NATO membership: what Russia will respond to.”
See special topic: After the attack on Transcarpathia in Hungary, they say that “the right decision has been made” on weapons for Ukraine The country's government also still refuses to support the embargo on Russian oil. They tried to sell Ukrainian grain stolen by the Russians to Egypt Egypt refused, so the ship with the grain sailed in the direction of Lebanon and Syria. The Russian Ministry of Defense has promised to release the rest of the civilian population from Azovstal There is no confirmation of the humanitarian corridor from the Ukrainian side yet. LAZ plant should be nationalized and an industrial park should be built there – Sadovy According to the mayor of Lviv, there are already investors ready to start production of electric motors. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, military enlistments have been set on fire in at least six regions of Russia – BBC The last such incident happened on the night of May 4.
