Finland’s president defends joining Nato without Sweden

President Sauli Niinisto has defended Finland’s decision to proceed with accession to Nato without its neighbour Sweden on the grounds that rejecting Turkey’s pending ratification of its candidacy would have been problematic.

“Should we have rejected ratification by Turkey? That sounds a bit crazy,” Niinisto said in an interview with Sweden’s SVT national public service that was broadcast in full on Saturday evening.

“It would have been a very problematic situation, if we had said no to Ankara,” he added.