Finnish parliament defence committee chair: No hasty decision on NATO membership
Any decision on Finland's possible membership of NATO should not be made in haste, Ilkka Kanerva, chairman of the Finnish parliament's defence affairs committee, warned. Speaking in an interview with Maaseudun Tulevaisuus, Kanerva noted that Finland's security policy was on a "good and stable footing," and that there was no reason to change the policy. There was no fear that Finland's so-called "NATO option" to apply for membership would not be valid, the veteran MP assured. Even a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine would not undermine Finland's relations with NATO, Kanerva insisted. However, such a move could increase pressure for Finland to join NATO, he said. That said, a decision on NATO membership was not something that could be made in January 2022, Kanerva pointed out. Also, he would not submit the decision to a popular referendum, given the risk of outside influence operations.
