DOD officially talks about Sweden, Finland Joins NATO> US Department of Defense> News from the Department of Defense
An official from the Ministry of Defense strongly urged the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee to quickly approve Finland’s and Sweden’s request to join NATO.
“The Ministry of Defense assesses that Finland and Sweden are ready for NATO membership, “said Celeste A. Wallander, Deputy Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, at a hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today.
Finland and Sweden would provide additional security and stability in Europe, Wallander said. The two Baltic countries already have close bilateral defense relations with the United States, she said. The two nations also have close working relations and military interoperability with NATO military.
The fact that Sweden and Finland requested to join the defensive alliance is a sign of how much the security environment has changed with Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Both nations have been partners with NATO for decades, but saw no real need to join the treaty organization.
But Putin’s invasion of Ukraine caused a seismic shift in public opinion in both countries, and the two countries’ legislatures quickly debated and ratified a motion to join the alliance of 30 countries.
Both Finland and Sweden are ready to contribute to the alliance defense now, Wallander said. Finland maintains conscription and has a well-manned and trained reserve that can be called in quickly, which is absolutely necessary as Finland shares a long border with Russia.
“Finland’s location on the Baltic Sea, diplomatic experience with Russia and advanced resources make it an asset for the Alliance,” she said. “Finland spends more than 2 percent of its [gross domestic product] on defense and possess unique military capabilities and expertise, especially in the Arctic environment. ”
Sweden’s accession to NATO would provide “a first-class and rapidly growing military with a principled foreign policy that eagerly defends democracy and human rights,” Wallander said.
Sweden also has a world-class defense industry. Sweden’s “military expertise in Arctic and underwater environments would significantly promote alliance capacity,” she said.
Sweden already has interoperability with NATO forces. The Kingdom became a member of the NATO Partnership for Peace in 1994 and a NATO Partnership for Expanded Opportunities in 2014.
“Sweden has contributed to or supported NATO missions in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, Kosovo and Libya,” she said.
Finally, Wallander said that both nations “are thriving democracies that share our values and fit the ideals of the North Atlantic Treaty.”