Poll reveals most Finns back joining NATO without Sweden

More than half of the Finnish population believes that the Nordic country should join NATO without waiting for Sweden, according to a poll conducted by Taloustutkimus from January 30 to February 1 among 1,000 adult Finns aged 18-79.

The poll’s results noted that 53% of Finns believed that Finland's entry to NATO should not depend on the ratification of Sweden's membership, TASS reports.

"This is a clear political signal from the public to the decision-makers that the NATO issue must be resolved as soon as possible. There is no way back," top pollster Juho Rahkonen said. Nevertheless, 28% of the respondents think that Finland should join NATO together with Sweden, while 19% could not answer the question.

A point worth highlighting is that different age groups have different views on the issue. The older population tends to think that Finland should wait for Sweden. "According to their world view, cooperation between the Nordic countries is more important than for young people," Rahkonen noted.