Thread by @jseldin

#Finland @NATO membership-"#Turkey's objection...we are still in the assessment phase, trying to figure out how serious the demands & objections are" @FINambUS Mikko Hautala tells @BrookingsInst

"We intend to discuss w/the Turks...This process is going on right now"

"This is a discussion we are having w/the Turkish gvt right now" per @SWEambUSA Karin Olofsdotter tells @BrookingsInst re: #Tukrey's objection to @NATO membership

"#Sweden of course is a very strong ally in all issues that deals w/terrorism & anti-terrorism" she adds

"The #EuropeanUnion has had #PKK on its terrorist list since 2002, so we have always been there for that" per @SWEambUSA

"We have been operating w/some of these organizations in #Syria, as the #UnitedStates has done, as many other Europeans have done"

"We really hope we can see eye-to-eye w/the Turkish, with their views & our views" per @SWEambUSA "That's the discussion we are having right now both when it comes to terrorism but also the weapon embargo issues"

"We take joining @NATO very seriously" per @SWEambUSA "We really see ourselves as a partner strengthening the whole alliance, all of its territory"

"We want to become members as soon as possible bcs we see what's going on in #Ukraine & in our region" per @SWEambUSA on @NATO membership

"We are the two missing pieces in the jigsaw puzzle of northern security" per @SWEambUSA on #Sweden #Finland seeking to join @NATO

"Maybe you [America] can sleep a little bit better at night bcs we are there"

#Finland (@nokia) & #Sweden (@ericsson) "do bring additional technological capability" per @FINambUS, also noting #ArtificialIntelligence & #Quantum

"If you want to have a totally safe network solution...come to us"

#Russia's decision to wage war vs #Ukraine - "It's in one guy's head [#Putin] but it's also shared by actually much of the elite & it's also shared I think by a majority of the ppltn when it happened" per @FINambUS

"The historical mission idea, the idea that #Russia kind of has to gather the lands & become a center of this newly gathered, as they say it, ancient Russian lands, I think its gained a lot of acceptance" per @FINambUS

"It was widely disseminated by the propaganda"

#Russia|n thinking about gathering ancient lands "largely sort of went without us fully realizing the potential" per @FINambUS

"I think almost none of us took it full seriousness that this would lead to a great war"

"It's a much deeper problem than we'd perhaps like to think" per @FINambUS re #Russia mindset on territory

@NATO troops in #Sweden? "We're not asking for that" per @SWEambUSA "There's no discussion on troops or things like that"

"The most important part is operation planning...That needs to go very quickly" she says

If #Sweden gets into @NATO, key benefot would be intelligence sharing, per @SWEambUSA

"We really hope that we bring good knowledge abt our region given how our intelligence services operate"

#Sweden in @NATO - "We really see a role as strengthening in the #BalticSea" per @SWEambUSA

"We have quite strong navy, or very strong navy....we are building new submarines that are tailored-made just for the Baltic"

"We have strong armed forces so we are not taking this decision out of some kind of military desperation" @FINambUS

"A lot of these needs will depend on what the situation looks like down the road..."

"If the #Russia|n reaction stays relatively muted, as it has so far, I don't think we have an interest in kind of demanding divisions here & there" per @FINambUS

"If it [threat environment] increases, I think then we have to have a discussion"

Finnish-#Turkey talks:"Anything that would jeopardize or put in question our role as a rule of law country or would question our freedom of speech...of political opinion,I think that would be impossible" per @FINambUS

"#Finland is Finland...going to stay Finland no matter what"

"A weak #Russia is also dangerous" per @FINambUS

"Historically for #Finland, a strong Russia has been a problem but weak Russia has been also a problem" he says

"What we need is a Russia whose ppltn at least...sees that this kind of policy of land acquisitions & attack war, this has to stop" per @FINambUS

As for what will happen w/#Russia-#Ukraine - "The optimum outcome for all this...is all kind of a surprise wrapped in mystery" per @FINambUS