On Tuesday NATO’s Secretary Jens Stoltenberg mocked Vladimir Putin for wanting to “slam NATO’s door shut” and he made a “colossal strategic mistake” and he can now repent at leisure.
Stoltenberg said in reference to the war in Ukraine, “At times like this, friends and allies are more important than ever,” which comes as Finland are now the 31st NATO member.
Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, said, “Finland now has the strongest friends and allies in the world.
“President Putin wanted to slam NATO’s door shut.
“Today we showed the world that he failed – that aggression and intimidation do not work.
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“Instead of less NATO, he has achieved the opposite – more NATO.
“And our door remains firmly open.”
The former Finnish Prime Minster Alexander Stubb that Finland would have never became a member of NATO if Putin did not invade Ukraine.
Speaking about the Kremlin warning that they will now bolster their forces along the 810 mile Finnish Russian border, he said this is “mild rhetoric.”
Stubb said, “I don’t think they have the material or the military capacity to strengthen that much on the border.”
Finland have no worries should Russia attempt to invade as they have more than 900,000 reservist and 280,000 which can be mobilised within hours in wartime.
Stubb was asked if joining the alliance will antagonise Moscow, he replied, “The only thing that Putin understands is power – I have met him a few times.
“It is in the prerogative and right of every sovereign, individual, independent nation-state to choose which club it belongs to.”
He said that he is “convinced” Sweden will join NATO and the Finnish President Niinistö immediately called on Stockholm to join the alliance.
He said, “Finland’s membership is not complete without Swedish membership. The work for Sweden‘s early membership continues relentlessly.”
The US President Joe Biden has urged Turkey and Hungary who oppose Sweden joining the alliance to allow this “without delay,” he said on Tuesday afternoon.
President Biden said in a statement, “I look forward to welcoming Sweden as a NATO member as soon as possible.”
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