The Finnish parliament is discussing a petition to hold a referendum on NATO membership after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The petition, which has garnered over 50,000 signatures, called on Finnish lawmakers to discuss NATO membership amid conflict.
Finnish Prime Minister Sana Marin confirmed that the parties will be invited to discuss the petition.
But she added on Twitter that the country’s parliament would not hold a “broad” debate on joining NATO.
“The event will not include a broader discussion of Finland’s line on the military alliance,” Marin said.
A recent poll showed that the majority of Finnish citizens are in favor of joining NATO for the first time against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.
Public television Yle found that 53% of respondents were in favor of joining NATO, while only 28% were against and 19% were undecided.
A previous poll conducted by MTV3 in January showed that 30% of people wanted to join NATO at the time.
The change in attitudes has also been reflected in the country’s politics: the majority support joining NATO among supporters of all parliamentary parties except the Alliance of the Left.
In recent days, Helsinki has reaffirmed that it has no plans to join NATO, despite Vladimir Putin’s command attack on Ukraine.
However, politicians have said that the possibility of joining the military alliance remains on the negotiating table.
Moscow also warned Finland and neighboring Sweden that NATO membership would have “serious military and political implications.”
Finland also announced on Monday that it had made a “historic” decision to supply Ukraine with weapons, namely 2,500 machine guns, 150,000 rounds of ammunition, 1,500 rocket launchers and 70,000 field rations.
Finland has the longest border in Europe with Russia, stretching over 1,300 kilometers.