Still Young, Finnish PM Dare To Be Firm About NATO: Nothing Can Affect Us, Not The US, Not Russia

JAKARTA - Finland does not plan to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) any time soon, but is ready to stand with European Allies and the United States by imposing tough sanctions on Russia if it attacks Ukraine, according to Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin.

"It will have a very big impact and the sanctions will be very severe," Marin told Reuters in an interview, as quoted January 20.

PM Marin, 36, said it was highly unlikely that Finland would apply for NATO membership during his tenure.

The Nordic nation shares a 1,340 km (833 mi) border and a difficult history with Russia and the Soviet Union, including clashes during World War Two, but has opted to only cooperate with Western security alliances rather than join.

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden telephoned Finnish President Sauli Niinisto to speak with him for the second time in a month, to discuss "the importance of Finland's close defense partnership with the United States and with NATO", President Biden's office said in a statement.

PM Marin has been tight-lipped about the discussions, but said he believes other countries respect the fact that Finland has long maintained "functional" relations with Russia.

The Social Democratic Party politician further said that Finland remained firm in its previous stance, that they had the right to join NATO one day if they so decided.

"No one can affect us, not the United States, not Russia, not anyone else," he added.

To note, Finland in December selected the F-35 fighter jet in line with its defense force armament policy which is based on new military equipment, compatible with NATO countries.

Meanwhile, Finland needs to show substantial public support to join NATO in order to be granted membership.

In a recent poll by Finland's largest daily Helsingin Sanomat, 28 percent of respondents wanted Finland to join NATO, 42 percent opposed and the rest were unsure, which translates to an 8 percentage point increase in their share of favor from the last poll in late 2019 .

"Overall, I believe NATO discussions will intensify in the coming years," said PM Marin.