20

Feb

Blinken, in Turkey, urges speedy Nordics accession to NATO

Turkey has blocked Swedish, Finnish NATO bids Blinken says Sweden and Finland have taken needed steps Cavusoglu says Sweden needs to take more action By Humeyra Pamuk and Huseyin Hayatsever…

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18

Feb

Finland wants to join NATO at the same time as Sweden – PM Marin

MUNICH, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Saturday her country was aiming to join NATO at the same time as neighbouring Sweden. Finland has made this desire…

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10

Feb

Finland to discuss NATO ratification that may leave Sweden behind

HELSINKI, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Finnish parliamentary groups are expected to discuss on Friday when to ratify NATO's founding treaties, in a move that could lead the country to proceed…

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01

Feb

UPDATED: Turkey looks positively on Finland’s NATO bid but not on Sweden’s -Erdogan

ANKARA, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Turkey looks positively on Finland's application for NATO membership, but does not support Sweden's bid, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. "Our position on Finland is…

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30

Jan

Turkey’s Erdogan signals Finland’s NATO bid may be considered over Sweden

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan signalled on Sunday that Ankara may agree to Finland joining NATO ahead of Sweden, amid growing tensions with Stockholm. "We may deliver Finland…

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29

Jan

Explainer-Why is Turkey blocking Sweden and Finland NATO membership?

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Swedish and Finnish hopes of quickly joining NATO have run into an obstacle in the form of objections by Turkey, which holds veto powers over accession to the…

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24

Jan

Finland says timeout needed in talks with Turkey over NATO bid

Finland's foreign minister said on Tuesday a timeout of a few weeks is needed in the talks between Finland, Sweden and Turkey on the two Nordic nations' plans to join…

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02

Dec

Ukraine war shows Europe too reliant on U.S., Finland PM says

HELSINKI, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Russia's invasion of Ukraine has shown that Europe is too reliant on the United States for its own security, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said…

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17

Nov

Europe is too dependent on China for technologies, Finland’s PM says

HELSINKI, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Europe is currently too reliant on China for technologies and should be wary of this dependency, Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Thursday. "Let's…

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05

Nov

Finland’s Sanna Marin cleared of misconduct over dance video

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin did not neglect her duties as prime minister, an official inquiry found after investigating a leaked party video showing her dancing with friends in August. In the…

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02

Nov

New Swedish PM says open to nuclear weapons under NATO

Sweden’s new prime minister said he was open to allowing nuclear weapons on Swedish soil once the country becomes a Nato member, a turnaround from the previous government’s stance. Prime…

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22

Oct

Swedish foreign minister says NATO accession top priority

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Accession to NATO is a top priority for Sweden's newly-appointed government, Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said in Helsinki on Friday after a meeting with his Finnish counterpart,…

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20

Oct

NATO allies would act if Sweden, Finland come under pressure, Stoltenberg says

BRUSSELS, Oct 20 (Reuters) - NATO allies will act if Sweden or Finland come under pressure from Russia or another adversary before they become full members of the alliance, NATO…

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30

Sep

Norway warns could quickly impose ban on Russian tourists if necessary

 (Reuters) - Norway may impose a ban on Russian tourists similar to that introduced by Finland this week, Norwegian Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl said on Friday. "We will close…

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29

Sep

Finland will shut border to Russian tourists from midnight

HELSINKI, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Finland will close its border to Russian tourists from midnight local time (2100 GMT), which is expected to lead to a significant drop in cross-border…

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26

Sep

More Russians travelled to Finland during weekend, Resistance to the draft grows

HELSINKI, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Almost 17,000 Russians crossed the border into Finland during the weekend, an 80% rise from a week earlier, Finnish authorities said on Monday, as the…

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23

Sep

Finland and Kazakhstan see more Russians at border wanting ‘to be safe’

Traffic into Finland across its southeastern border with Russia was heavy on Friday, border guards told Reuters, adding that the number of Russians who entered the previous day was more…

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23

Sep

Finland mulls barring Russians from entering as border traffic grows

VAALIMAA, Finland (Reuters) - Finland said it was considering barring most Russians from entering the country as traffic across the border from its eastern neighbour "intensified" following President Vladimir Putin's…

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22

Sep

UPDATED: Finland’s border guard says traffic on border with Russia increasing

HELSINKI, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Traffic arriving at Finland's eastern border with Russia has "intensified" during the night, the Finnish Border Guard said early on Thursday, while adding that the…

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19

Sep

Finland cuts 2023 GDP growth forecast, sees risk of recession

HELSINKI, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Finland's finance ministry on Monday cut its economic growth forecast for 2023 and said the country was at risk of a recession. The ministry now…

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13

Sep

Europe needs strategic autonomy in energy, food, defence and technology – Finnish PM

Addressing MEPs in Strasbourg as part of the “This is Europe” debate series, Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin said that Ukrainians have proven their bravery and endurance and they…

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05

Sep

Sweden, Finland step in to avert Lehman-like situation for power companies

STOCKHOLM/HELSINKI, (Reuters) - Finland and Sweden announced plans to offer billions of dollars in liquidity guarantees to power companies in their countries after Russia's Gazprom shut the Nord Stream 1…

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31

Aug

Finland detects small amount of radioactivity

OSLO, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Small amounts of radioactive isotopes have been detected in air samples collected in Kotka in south-east Finland, but there is no risk to humans and…

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31

Aug

Finland to close main highway for fighter jet landing drill

HELSINKI, (Reuters) - Finland will close down a stretch of one of its main highways for a week in September to allow its Air Force to practise takeoffs and landings…

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26

Aug

Turkey, Finland and Sweden officials meet to discuss Turkish concerns

HELSINKI, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Officials from Turkey, Finland and Sweden were expected to meet at an undisclosed location in Finland on Friday to discuss security concerns which Turkey raised…

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20

Aug

Finnish PM takes drugs test after party video causes stir

HELSINKI (Reuters) -Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Friday she had taken a drugs test following the publication of video footage this week that showed her partying with friends,…

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19

Aug

UPDATED: Second video of Finnish PM Sanna Marin partying emerges

A new video has emerged in Finland that portrays Prime Minister Sanna Marin dancing in the private room of a Helsinki club. The episode should date back to August 6,…

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19

Aug

Russian jets suspected of violating Finnish airspace

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Two Russian MiG-31 fighter jets are suspected of violating Finnish airspace on Thursday near the coastal city of Porvoo on the Gulf of Finland, the Finnish defence…

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17

Aug

Finland limits visas to Russians

HELSINKI, (Reuters) - Finland will slash the number of visas issued to Russians from Sept. 1, the Finnish foreign ministry said in a statement, amid a rush of Russian tourists…

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03

Aug

U.S. Senate to vote on Finland, Sweden NATO accession, French parliament gives approval

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate will hold votes on Wednesday on approving Finland's and Sweden's accession into NATO, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced. The debate, Schumer said, will begin at 1:30…

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02

Aug

Italy’s lower house backs NATO membership for Finland and Sweden

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's Chamber of Deputies approved a bill on Tuesday to ratify the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO in a vote welcomed by Giorgia Meloni, whose…

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31

Jul

Medvedev vows response for Finland joining NATO

DPA - The accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO will be met with a military response, according to former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. If the two countries host NATO…

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30

Jul

British troops in ‘high-readiness exercise’ with Finnish and US forces

British troops have taken part in a joint "high-readiness exercise" alongside Finnish forces, as Finland moves closer to joining NATO. About 150 British Army and Royal Air force personnel joined…

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10

Jul

RAF fighter jets deploy to Sweden and Finland

Six Royal Air Force fighter jets have flown to Finland and Sweden for joint training exercises, the MoD has said. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the deployment, which came at…

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06

Jul

Canada swiftly ratifies protocol for Finland, Sweden to join NATO

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada became the first country to formally ratify Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO in an accelerated process completed shortly after member nations signed off on the nuclear-armed alliance's…

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01

Jul

Erdogan raises possibly nixing NATO-Nordics deal if promises not kept

ANKARA, July 1 (Reuters) - An accord signed with Finland and Sweden to lift Turkey's veto on their NATO membership bids is not the end of the matter and obliges…

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29

Jun

UPDATED: NATO invites Sweden and Finland to join, Russia the “most significant and direct threat to the allies’ security”

MADRID, June 29 (Reuters) - NATO has invited Sweden and Finland to become members of the military alliance, a commununique published by the NATO summit in Madrid on Wednesday said. "The accession…

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28

Jun

Finland, Sweden will ‘eventually’ join NATO, says Spain’s PM

Sweden and Finland will eventually become part of NATO, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday alongside the alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hours before a NATO summit was…

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22

Jun

Finland is ready to fight Russia if attacked – defence chief

HELSINKI, June 22 (Reuters) - Finland has prepared for decades for a Russian attack and would put up stiff resistance should one occur, its armed forces chief said. The Nordic country has…

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20

Jun

Germany “very confident” of deal on Sweden, Finland NATO bid

BERLIN, June 20 (Reuters) - Germany is "very confident" NATO will reach an agreement with Sweden and Finland over bid for membership of the alliance but it would not be a "catastrophe"…

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10

Jun

No signs of Russian threat to Sweden, Finland -NATO deputy chief

COPENHAGEN, June 10 (Reuters) - NATO's deputy chief sees no immediate military threat to Sweden and Finland from Russia and is confident that the aspiring NATO members will join the alliance despite Turkey's objections, he…

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27

May

Turkey seeks concrete action from Sweden, Finland for NATO bids

ISTANBUL, May 27 (Reuters) - Turkey expects Sweden and Finland to take concrete action and halt what it says is their support for terrorist groups in order for Ankara to…

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27

May

No need seen to add U.S. ground forces in Sweden, Finland

Sweden and Finland’s push to join NATO won’t require adding more U.S. ground forces into either country, the U.S. general nominated to take over European Command told senators. But Army…

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21

May

Russia halts gas flow to Finland, intensifies push for Donbas

KYIV/OSLO, May 21 (Reuters) - Russia stopped providing gas to Finland in an escalation of a row over energy payments with the West on Saturday, and intensified an offensive in the Donbas…

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21

May

Turkey’s Erdogan to speak to Finland as NATO application row simmers

ISTANBUL, (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he will speak to Finland on Saturday, while maintaining his opposition to Finnish and Swedish NATO membership bids over their history of hosting members of groups…

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20

May

Russia to halt gas flows to Finland on Saturday

HELSINKI, May 20 (Reuters) - Russia's Gazprom  has informed Finland it will halt flows of natural gas from Saturday morning, Gasum said on Friday, after the Finnish state-owned gas wholesaler refused to…

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20

May

NATO beer goes on sale in Finland

Finnish brewery Olaf Brewing introduced their OTAN beer into the market, a beer released to cheer Finland's historic decision to join the NATO, or OTAN as the defence alliance is…

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19

May

Turkey has told allies it’s a ‘no’ to Sweden and Finland’s NATO bid – Erdogan

Turkey has told allies that it will reject Sweden and Finland's membership to NATO, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said in a video posted on his Twitter account on Thursday. Finland and…

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19

May

No nuclear arms or NATO bases on Finland’s soil, PM tells paper

Finland does not want NATO to deploy nuclear weapons or set up military bases on its territory even if Finland becomes a member, the Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin told…

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18

May

UPDATED: Turkeys Erdogan links Sweden NATO bid to return of “terrorists”

ANKARA, May 18 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday Sweden should not expect Turkey to approve its NATO bid without returning "terrorists", and Swedish and Finnish delegations should not come to…

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17

May

Putin appears to back off threats as Nordics prepare to join NATO

Vladimir Putin appeared to climb down on Monday from Russia's objections to Sweden and Finland joining NATO, saying Moscow had no issues with them entering the U.S.-led military alliance they now aim…

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16

May

UPDATED: Putin warns Finland and Sweden any military expansion ‘would demand a reaction’

Vladimir Putin said Russia had no issue with Finland and Sweden, but that the expansion of military infrastructure on their territory would demand a reaction from Moscow, as the Nordic…

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16

May

Senate Republican leader says U.S. could ratify Finnish NATO membership before August

HELSINKI, May 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress will seek to ratify Finland's application to join the Western military alliance NATO before going on holiday in August, U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch…

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16

May

Sweden, Finland NATO membership would increase Baltic security – Estonia

BERLIN, May 16 (Reuters) - Sweden and Finland joining NATO would increase the security of the Baltic region, Estonian Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets said. "When we see that in our neighbourhood also other democratic…

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15

May

UPDATED: Finnish president confirms his country will apply to join NATO

HELSINKI, May 15 (Reuters) - Finland's President Sauli Niinisto confirmed on Sunday that his country would apply for membership of the NATO military alliance. The announcement came after Niinisto and Prime Minister…

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15

May

Russian fighter jets take part in Baltic Sea drills as support grows for Finnish and Swedish NATO membership

Russian Su-27 fighter jets have taken part in drills to repel a mock air strike on Russia's Kaliningrad exclave, Interfax news agency reported on Saturday, citing the Baltic Sea fleet.…

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14

May

Foreign ministers of Finland, Turkey, to meet over NATO tensions, Haavisto says

BERLIN, May 14 (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of Finland and Turkey will meet in Berlin later on Saturday to try and solve disagreements over Finland's and Sweden's plan to join NATO,…

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