Finland Sees No Need to Join NATO Now - Russian Ambassador

Russian Ambassador to Finland believes that the Finnish government sees no need to join NATO in the near future.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Finland does not consider it necessary to join NATO at present, Russian Ambassador to Finland Alexander Rumyantsev said Wednesday.

"In the near future, the Finnish government on the order of the president of the country will prepare reports on security and defense policy. In this regard, it is also intended to compile an analytic review assessing all the possibilities and consequences of possible Finnish membership of NATO," Rumyantsev told RIA Novosti.

Rumyantsev added that the review does not include any proposed changes to the current Finnish policy regarding participation in military alliances.

According to the diplomat, no more than a quarter of Finnish citizens support joining NATO.

"As for the population of the country, no more than a quarter of Finnish citizens support joining the Alliance, about 60 percent object and some 15 percent were undecided," he added.

Finland has historically been a neutral nation and has never been a member of NATO. Finland is currently a member of NATO's affiliate program, known as the Partnership for Peace.