Joining Nato is a simpler process than joining the EU, even with a war going on in Ukraine, say many experts.
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File photo. Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Image: Daniel Olin / Yle
Finnish President Alexander Stubb’s comments on Ukraine’s possible membership in the EU and Nato have received little enthusiasm from diplomats and experts.
Speaking at the Helsinki Security Forum on Friday, Stubb proposed that Ukraine should first receive security guarantees, join the European Union, and only then become a Nato member.
However, Sweden’s new ambassador to Finland, Peter Ericson, raised doubts during a forum discussion on Russia.
“If a security arrangement is being built against Russia, shouldn’t it be Nato, and Nato with Ukraine, as soon as possible?” Ericson said.
Mikko Hautala, a Finnish diplomat who has served as ambassador to both the US and Russia during his career agreed with Ericson’s sentiment. He suggested that Nato membership would likely precede EU membership.
“EU membership is much more complex. It will be a long process, no matter how much we want to speed it up and how quickly Ukraine would meet the criteria,” Hautala noted.
Associate Professor Katri Pynnöniemi from the National Defence University also emphasised the need for Nato membership first, arguing that only security guarantees could halt Russia’s aggression and allow Ukraine to rebuild and integrate into Europe.
“In my mind, Nato membership should come first. We need security in order to rebuild the country and integrate it with the rest of Europe,” Pynnöniemi said.
Ukraine applied for EU membership after Russia’s invasion in 2022, and negotiations began last summer. However, the path to the EU is expected to be long, given the stringent requirements on democracy, law, human rights, and corruption.
Nato pledged in 2008 that Ukraine would one day join the alliance, but there is no set timeline for this, and Ukraine must meet all of Nato’s criteria.
Researcher Arkadi Moshes, from the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA), pointed out that while securing Ukraine’s sovereignty would require tens of thousands of troops along its border, joining Nato is still more straightforward than joining the EU.
After the Cold War, it was believed that Ukraine’s membership in the EU would provoke less reaction from Russia than if it joined Nato. However, Russia was irritated by Ukraine’s plans to strengthen ties with the EU.
Stubb has not commented further about his remarks on Friday.
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Publish date : 2024-09-30 01:52:00
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