Russia says: Moscow Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that more than a thousand Ukrainian troops had surrendered to Mariupol, a port city east of Ukraine that had been under siege for months.
“In the city of Mariupol … 1,026 Ukrainian soldiers in the 36th Marine Brigade have voluntarily surrendered their weapons,” the department said in a statement.
Terrified by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland will begin a debate on Wednesday that could lead to a bid for NATO membership, a move that could anger Moscow.
The invasion of Ukraine sparked a major overhaul of social and political views in Finland and neighboring Sweden over their long-standing policies on non-alignment.
Attempts to join NATO will likely be seen as offensive by Moscow, where the expansion of the coalition across the border has become a major security concern.
A report submitted by the government on Wednesday will examine the “fundamentally changed” security situation, according to the Finnish foreign ministry, and it will pass parliament.
The opening debate is scheduled for a week later.
It is expected to analyze various security options for Finland, which shares a 1,340-mile (830-mile) border with Russia.
Former prime minister and long-time NATO attorney Alexander Stubb believes Finland’s bid for membership is “an end already”.
Finland has a long history with Russia. In 1917 it proclaimed independence after 150 years of Russian rule.
During World War II, an invading army withstood the onslaught of the Soviets, before a peace treaty forced them to forfeit much of their territory to the Soviet Union.
During the Cold War, Finland remained neutral in order to obtain assurances from Moscow.
Change of heart – So a change of mood in NATO would not have been considered a few months ago.
As recently as January, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said membership was “absolutely impossible” during her tenure.
But after two decades of public support for permanent membership of 20-30 percent, the war caused an increase in those who voted for more than 60 percent, a majority vote showed.
Public statements compiled by the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper propose part of the 200 Finnish MPs who now support membership while only 12 oppose it.
Some said they would announce the position after detailed discussions.
The government has said it hopes to reach an agreement in Parliament in the coming weeks, with members of parliament hearing a number of security experts.
Marin is awaiting a decision “before the summer”, with many analysts predicting that Finland could apply for a NATO summit in June.
Any membership bid must be approved by all 30 NATO provinces, a process that can take four months to a year.
Finland has so far received public assurances from Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that the NATO department is still open, with the support of several members.
- ‘Like religious change’ – Unlike Finland, Sweden does not share a border with Russia and the two countries have never had a war for two centuries.
Nevertheless, pro-NATO sentiment is growing among Swedes “who realize they may find themselves in a similar situation with Ukraine, with great empathy but no military assistance,” said Robert Dalsjo, research director at the Swedish Defense Research Agency.
Many analysts expect Sweden and Finland to work together to join, but their leaders have stressed that they can reach different decisions.
Sweden’s ruling party this week announced the revision of its long-standing opposition to joining NATO.
“For Sweden’s Social Democrats to change their mind (with NATO) is like changing religion,” former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb told AFP.
“And I’m not talking about Protestantism and Catholicism, I’m talking about Christian and Muslim.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned Russia that it will take steps to “restore order” in the event of Finland joining.
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto has said Russia’s response could include airstrip, space bombings and a series of attacks, which Finnish NATO supporters believe the country is well prepared to face.
“Russia is going to explode,” Dalsjo said, but added: “I do not think they will be violent.
“However, in the case where (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is now, I will not completely dismiss it.”
In the city of Mariupol … 1,026 Ukrainian soldiers in the 36th marine brigade have voluntarily surrendered their weapons, “the department said in a statement. large steel industry.
Among the soldiers were 162 police officers and 47 women women, the department said. More than 100 were injured. Russia is believed to be trying to link the Crimean-occupied territories with separate Moscow supporting Donetsk and Lugansk in Donbas and has besieged Mariupol at the start of its military operations.
Thousands of civilians are believed to have died in the city, which has been the scene of intense fighting.
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