NATO chief gives security to Finland, Sweden as wait for accession drags on
It is inconceivable that NATO would fail to respond to threats against aspirants Sweden and Finland as they await final membership approval from holdouts Turkey and Hungary, the alliance’s top official said on Thursday.
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels that NATO already treats the two Nordic countries as something akin to full members.
The United States and 27 others among NATO’s 30 members have already given the green light to Sweden and Finland’s entry into the transatlantic security pact, which comes with a collective defense assurance that an attack on one member requires a response from all.
But uncertainty remains whether Turkey and Hungary, two countries with a reputation for opposing the alliance, will join.
Although there is no set timeline for Finland and Sweden’s accession, NATO feels a sense of urgency to get the deal done.
– As invited guests, you are now integrating into NATO’s political and military structures, Stoltenberg said together with Sweden’s new Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. “And it is inconceivable that allies would not act if Sweden and Finland were to be subjected to any kind of pressure.”
Many member states of the alliance, including the United States, have already given Finland and Sweden security guarantees, and NATO has increased its presence in the Baltics as a security measure.
Still, questions loom over what Turkey and Hungary’s next move will be.
Kristersson said he is prepared to visit Ankara to push the talks with Turkey forward. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has complained that Sweden and Finland have not fully supported Turkey’s concerns about terrorism on NATO’s southern flank.
During NATO’s June summit in Madrid, Sweden, Turkey and Finland entered into a trilateral memorandum to address Ankara’s concerns about Kurdish militant groups.
Kristersson spoke of his country’s commitment to the agreement, adding that the fight against terrorism is of “fundamental importance”.
Hungary, meanwhile, has been less clear about what concerns, if anything, it has about Finland’s and Sweden’s membership bids.
But Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, known for his friendly ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, remains a wild card.
Still, Sweden and Finland are on track for eventual membership, Stoltenberg said, noting that the accession process for both “has been the fastest in NATO’s modern history.”
Both countries are wealthy and boast advanced militaries and stable governments. In addition, they have been close partners with NATO states for several years.
Formal introduction would give the allies a more extensive security buffer, Stoltenberg said.
– Your membership will strengthen the alliance’s presence in the north and deepen the Nordic and Baltic defense cooperation, says Stoltenberg to Kristersson.