Niinistö: Sweden security OK if Finland joins NATO first

HELSINKI (AP) — The Finnish president says he doesn’t think Sweden will end up in a vulnerable security situation although neighboring Finland is likely to join NATO first. Both Nordic membership candidates are currently negotiating bilateral military pacts with the United States. Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said in an interview with Swedish public broadcaster SVT that was published Sunday that “it is possible that Finland joins NATO before Sweden.” Niinistö said in interview published by the Swedish public broadcaster SVT on Sunday. He said “should we have refused Turkey’s offer to ratify?” Niinistö referred to his Friday visit to Ankara where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his government would move forward with ratifying Finland’s NATO application.