Finland, Sweden submits an application for NATO membership
BRUSSELS – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that Finland and Sweden have officially applied to join the world’s largest military alliance, a move driven by security concerns over Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“I warmly welcome the wishes of Finland and Sweden to join NATO. You are our closest partners,” Stoltenberg told reporters after receiving his application letters from the ambassadors of the two Nordic countries.
The application must now be weighed by the 30 member countries. That process is expected to take about two weeks, although Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed reservations about Finland and Sweden joining.
If his objections are overcome, and the accession negotiations go as well as expected, the two can become members within a few months. The process usually takes eight to 12 months, but NATO wants to move quickly given the threat from Russia that hangs over the heads of the Nordic countries.
Canada says, for example, that it expects to ratify its accession protocol in just a few days.
Public opinion in Finland and Sweden has changed sharply in favor of membership since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February.
Finland and Sweden are NATO’s closest partners. They have functioning democracies, well-funded armed forces and contribute to the Alliance’s military operations and air policing. All obstacles they encounter will only be of a technical or possibly political nature.
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