US President Joe Biden signed the protocols on the admission of Finland and Sweden to NATO.
“This step will make Europe and the whole world safer… Together with our allies, we will shape the future we want to see,” said the American president.
He also suggested that Russia hopes to weaken NATO. “They wanted to see NATO ‘Finnish’ and instead got NATO in Finland,” Biden said.
Before signing the protocols, Biden urged all allies in the alliance to ratify the entry of the two Scandinavian states into NATO as soon as possible.
“Sweden and Finland have strong democratic institutions, strong armies, strong and transparent economies. They meet all the criteria for NATO membership. We are sure of that. In the process, they will strengthen the alliance by increasing the security of the Americans,” he said.
Biden announced by signing the protocols. USA becomes 23rd NATO memberIt ratified the membership of Finland and Sweden. US Vice President Kamala Harris also attended the signing ceremony held at the White House.
Application not approved by 7 out of 30 countries
Before the ceremony, Biden had a phone call with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson.
“We spoke today, before Finland and Sweden decided to apply to join NATO, less than three months ago, before President Biden confirmed that the United States had ratified the treaty. We are stronger together,” the Finnish leader wrote on social media after the meeting.
His office said that during the talks, the parties discussed the future role of the Nordic countries in the alliance.
“The meeting also discussed the need to continue supporting Ukraine,” the office said in a statement.
Last week, the US Senate supported the ratification of NATO membership by Finland and Sweden, with 95 votes in favor and one against. Biden welcomed the results of the vote in the upper house of Congress and stressed that the Senate’s assessment of NATO enlargement protocols was the fastest since 1981.
According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, some members of the alliance are “closer to completing their national procedures” for ratification.
“So far, this has been the fastest accession process in NATO’s modern history.”
The formal procedure for joining the defense bloc will be finalized after the accession protocols have been ratified by the parliaments of all countries participating in the alliance. Currently, the application has not been approved. Only seven out of 30 countries: Spain, Greece, Portugal, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary and Turkey.
Turkey can intervene
Ankara is not in a hurry to ratify the protocols, it insists. Scandinavian countries fulfill their obligations in the fight against terrorism.
For this reason, Turkish Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdag said in a previous statement, “We should not expect a positive decision on support from Turkey. [Швеции и Финляндии]until you keep your word.”
He also pointed out that Ankara has not yet received a response to the extradition requests of people involved in terrorist activities from Scandinavian countries.
“We made our position clear at the NATO summit in Madrid. NATO membership of countries where PKK members roam freely on the streets [РПК]damage alliance values. Regarding Finland and Sweden, we take a clear and determined position. “Until Turkey keeps its promises, it will not approve the NATO membership of the two countries,” he said.
During the NATO summit in Madrid on 28 June, the Foreign Ministers of Turkey, Sweden and Finland signed a memorandum of understanding that removed the obstacle for the two countries to start talks to join the bloc.
The document envisions establishing cooperation between the two countries in the fight against terrorism with Ankara, especially with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the “fetullahist terrorist organization”, which the Turkish authorities accuse of involvement in the terrorist organization. 2016 coup attempt.
end of neutrality
Sweden has tried to maintain a neutral status by following a policy of non-intervention since 1815, and Finland, after World War II. He chose this path following the results of World War II. Most Finnish citizens traditionally oppose the country’s membership in NATO, but conversations about the possible participation of these countries in the alliance have resumed amid disagreements between Russia and the West over the concentration of Russian military forces near Ukraine’s borders.
At the beginning of 2022, Stoltenberg said that if Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership, able to quickly join the alliancebecause they meet most of their standards and have well-functioning defense and security institutions.
On 18 May, Helsinki and Stockholm applied to join NATO. Although countries emphasize in connection with the decision and the Russian military operation in UkraineIt is not aimed at Moscow and is due to the “changing security situation”.
Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, stated that the participation of these countries in NATO would worsen the security situation in the Baltic region, and said that Russia would give a symmetrical response.
Source: Gazeta
Calvin Turley is an author at “Social Bites”. He is a trendsetter who writes about the latest fashion and entertainment news. With a keen eye for style and a deep understanding of the entertainment industry, Calvin provides engaging and informative articles that keep his readers up-to-date on the latest fashion trends and entertainment happenings.