Boris Johnson is set for key meetings in Scandinavia later this week as Finland and Sweden mull over their options to see whether they join NATO.
Sweden has avoided military alliances for more than 200 years, while Finland, which shares an 810-mile border with Russia, adopted neutrality after being defeated by the Soviet Union in World War II.
Public opinion has shifted dramatically since the war in Ukraine, with polls showing more than 70% of Finns and about 50% of Swedes are now in favour of joining Nato.Boris Johnson will travel to capital Helsinki on Wednesday, before going on to Sweden on Thursday. Downing Street rejected suggestions the prime minister was seeking to pressurise the two Nordic nations into joining the bloc as ‘disinformation’.‘It is about not just Ukraine but the security of Europe more broadly. This about meeting other democratic countries and discussing issues such as security which are of importance here and overseas,’ the spokesman said.
‘We support countries’ democratic capability to decide on things like Nato membership. We understand the positions of Sweden and Finland and that is why the prime minister is going to discuss these broader security issues.’ The prime minister’s visit is likely to anger Moscow, which has threatened nuclear escalation if Sweden and Finland join the alliance.
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