The group collectively decided to approve countries’ applications to join after Turkey dropped its objections on Tuesday, paving the way for NATO’s most consistent enlargement in decades.
“The accession of Finland and Sweden will make them more secure, NATO stronger and the Euro-Atlantic area safer. The security of Finland and Sweden is of direct importance to the Alliance, even during the accession process,” the statement said.
The decision will now go to the parliaments and legislative assemblies of the 30 Member States for final ratification. NATO leaders said they expected the process to go fast, allowing for an unparalleled rapid accession and a show of unity against Putin.
The expansion vote, along with significant new commitments that strengthened NATO’s strength in Europe, combined to make this week’s summit in Madrid one of the most productive in recent times. The result is exactly what Putin hoped to avert when he invaded Ukraine more than four months ago.
“I said that Putin is looking for the Finnishisation of Europe. He will get the Europeanization of Europe. And that is exactly what he did not want, but exactly what needs to be done to ensure the security of Europe. And I think it is necessary,” he said. US President Joe Biden when he arrived at the summit in Madrid.
Biden announces reinforcement of NATO forces
Biden and other NATO leaders gathered in the Spanish capital to reveal a significant reinforcement of forces along the alliance’s eastern flank as Russia’s war in Ukraine shows no signs of abating.
Speaking with NATO Secretary General, Biden listed new troop movements, equipment shipments and military installations designed to demonstrate the importance of security in the face of Moscow’s aggression.
“The United States and our allies, we will step up – we will step up. We are proving that NATO is needed more now than it has ever been and is as important as it has ever been,” Biden said.
He said the United States would establish a permanent headquarters for the Fifth Army Corps in Poland, maintain an additional rotational brigade of 3,000 troops in Romania, improve rotational deployments to the Baltic states, send two more F-35 fighter jets to Britain and station additional air defenses and other capabilities. in Germany and Italy.
“Together with our allies, we will ensure that NATO is ready to face threats from all sides – across all domains, land, air and sea,” Biden said.
The United States did not convey to Russia its plans to strengthen its strength in Europe in advance.
“There has been no communication with Moscow about these changes, nor is there any requirement to do so,” said John Kirby, NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications, after Biden announced the series of actions.
A second official told reporters that the announcements did not violate any agreements between Russia and NATO, which set parameters for the positioning of troops in Europe.
“The decision to permanently pass on the front line of the five corps headquarters is, you know, not in line with that commitment and our understanding of NATO’s founding role in Russia,” said Celeste Wallander, the US Deputy Secretary of Defense for International Affairs.
Zelensky asks what Ukraine must do to join NATO
But even if Putin’s goals have backfired and the conflict continues, the move benefits Russia at the moment. As a result, this week Biden and other Western leaders have been looking for ways to change the course of the war.
Despite enthusiasm at the summit of NATO’s two newest members, another leader – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – expressed frustration that his country’s NATO ambitions had been ignored, despite being under siege by Russia.
Speaking virtually to the NATO summit in Madrid, Zelensky rhetorically asked, “Has Ukraine not paid enough” to join the alliance and review its open door policy?
“Is our contribution to the defense of both Europe and civilization still insufficient?” he asked. “What more is needed then?”
Ukraine has unsuccessfully tried to join NATO for several years, hampered by concerns about provoking Russia and other issues related to its administrative practices.
The Alliance is raising pressure on Russia but is wary of the effects at home
Already this week, the United States and Europe have imposed new rounds of sanctions on Moscow, banned new imports of its gold and agreed to limit the price of its oil. New rounds of security assistance, including a US-provided missile defense system, have been added to the queue of artillery and ammunition flowing in Ukraine.
Whether any of that is enough to fundamentally change the way the war goes remains to be seen. Zelensky told leaders attending the G7 summit in Germany that he wanted their help to stage a major initiative to win the war at the end of the year.
The leaders are worried that the rising costs of the war, which can be seen in rising gas and food prices, could lead to reduced support for Ukraine in the coming months. A few have warned that fatigue sets in, which contributes to the growing concern that the alliance may break.
“When we agreed that we would respond, we acknowledged that there would be some costs to our people, our imposition of sanctions on Russia. But our people have stood together. They have stood up and they have stood strong.” Biden said on Tuesday when he met King Felipe VI at the Royal Palace in Madrid.
To get the deal done before the summit, Biden dangled with the prospect of a formal bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a telephone conversation on Tuesday morning. The leaders will meet on Wednesday to discuss the countless issues that have soured relations between Washington and Ankara in recent years.
Biden also met with the Prime Minister of Japan and the President of South Korea to focus on the threat from North Korea. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Yoon Suk Yeol are invited guests to the NATO summit, but their countries’ ties have recently deteriorated due to disputes over war histories, making the joint meeting with Biden a rarity.