The foreign minister claims that Finland has not entered into negotiations regarding NATO membership

The foreign minister claims that Finland has not entered into negotiations regarding NATO membership. 

Finland does not have plans currently to join NATO, the foreign minister of Finland, Pekka Haavisto, stated on Friday amid rising tensions in the security sector between Finland’s giant neighbor Russia and Ukraine.

“Finland does not have any discussions with NATO being a member, or is there any indication that Finland has a similar project in the works. The Finnish security strategy has not changed,” Haavisto told reporters during a conference call following the meeting of European Union foreign ministers in France.

In response to the Polish foreign minister’s warning about Europe becoming more war-like as it was for thirty decades, Haavisto said he understands the strain Ukraine is and Poland is facing due to the escalating security tensions at their borders. 

“But I’m sure we’re not in such a situation,” Haavisto said.

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Finnish and Swedish are both interested in a NATO membership was the subject of debate on the world stage this week when Russian and U.S. officials held security policy discussions in Geneva.

The following day, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted in an interview with MSNBC that Finland was interested in joining NATO following Kremlin spokeswoman Dmitry Peskov had told reporters that Russia might view Finland becoming a part of NATO as “an instrument of conflict.”

Finland, which has an uneasy relationship with Russia following the clashes at the end of World War Two, has been able to keep the possibility of joining NATO open and has said it is entitled to apply for membership if it decides.

Finland has been cooperating with NATO since 1994 and was a part of the partnership with enhanced opportunities in 2014 following Russia acquired Crimea.

Last month, Finland chose the NATO-compatible F-35 for its new fighter aircraft.