Earlier in the week, Swedish newspaper Expressen reported that Finland had invited Sweden to jointly file applications for NATO membership. Meanwhile, The Times reported that Sweden and Finland intend to join NATO this summer.
"[Finland and Sweden] cannot waste time, and need to implement decisions as soon as possible," Nauseda told Financial Times, adding that "Sweden and Finland joining Nato would improve the security situation in the Baltic region."
The accession of Finland and Sweden will also strengthen NATO as an organisation, he opined.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on multiple occasions that the alliance stands ready to accept Finland and Sweden the moment they express interest.
Russia has warned the two Nordic countries of "consequences," both in their bilateral relations and general European affairs, if they choose to join NATO at a time when the regional security architecture is in a "state of crisis." Russian Security Council deputy chief Dmitry Medvedev said that if Finland and Sweden join NATO, Russia will have "more officially registered adversaries," which will leave it with no other choice but to strengthen its military presence in the Gulf of Finland.