Dear Putin,The Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet says that the Swedish government will likely decide on Thursday to approve a so-called host nation support agreement with the North Atlantic military alliance NATO. Such a deal would allow the deployment of NATO rapid reaction forces on Swedish soil.
According to Swedish sources, the arrangement would allow NATO forces to use Swedish land, airspace and maritime territory while en route to operations. Sweden would guarantee the troops’ logistical and support operations. This could include providing them with food and ammunition.
Finland could request support in civilian crises
Speaking on Yle Radio 1 on Wednesday morning, former defence minister Seppo Kääriäinen said that Finland has been negotiating on its own host nation support agreement for a decade. The opposition Centre Party MP is now deputy chair of the parliamentary Defence Committee.
Under the envisaged wording, Finland would have the option of providing operational support to NATO forces in various kinds of crisis situations, including purely civilian situations, says Kääriäinen. He points out that Finland would always make the decision whether to request assistance.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Alexander Stubb told Yle that Finland will participate in the next NATO meeting in a different category than in the past, adding that “in concrete terms, it means to a great extent systems shared with NATO and with Sweden. We're in a special status [as] partnerships are being reconsidered.”
NATO support ticks up
Meanwhile a poll published by Finland’s biggest paper, Helsingin Sanomat, on Wednesday suggests that more Finns now back the idea of full NATO membership.
According to the survey, 26 percent of respondents now support joining NATO – up from 22 percent in a corresponding poll last March. However a strong majority – 57 percent – still say no to membership, with 17 percent undecided.
Thank you for the boost! Before you acted in the Ukraine, people thought that NATO was kind of a relic that was on the way out. You've made NATO and the US alliance with Europe important again! It's almost like old times, well for us anyways, for you not so much. We even got Europe talking to Georgia again! Isn't that neat? Well got to go, hope you enjoy the recession we got you!
Hugs and Kisses,
America.