Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said the government plans to publish on Sunday, May 15, the second white paper with a proposal to join NATO.

This is reported by CNN.

The proposal will then be put to a vote in parliament, with a plenary session scheduled for Monday morning, May 16.

At a briefing in Helsinki, Haavisto noted the importance of a subsequent parliamentary debate.

The minister also said Russia's invasion of Ukraine "has greatly changed the security landscape in Europe," and added that the Kremlin's aggression has also changed public opinion in Finland about membership in the North Atlantic Alliance.

"For the first time, a majority of Finns support NATO membership," he pointed out.

Haavisto told reporters that the country is in close contact with the Swedish Foreign Ministry because Stockholm is also considering NATO membership.

In addition, he added, talks are underway with European partners and Great Britain, since the applicant countries are not subject to security guarantees.

Earlier NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the accession process of Finland to the Alliance would be quick and smooth.

Let us remind that the joint statement of Finnish President Sauli Niiniste and Prime Minister Sanna Marin, made public on May 12, in which the country's leadership announced its intention to immediately apply for NATO membership.

The Kremlin has already reacted to the statement of the neighboring country and stated that Finland's accession to NATO is a threat to Russia.