NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says Finland and Sweden will be welcomed with open arms should they decide to join the 30-nation military organization and could become members fairly quickly
From LORNE COOK Associated Press
Apr 28, 2022 at 11:14 am
• 3 minutes reading time
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BRUSSELS – NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday Finland and Sweden would be welcomed with open arms should they decide to join the 30-nation military organization and could become members fairly quickly.
Stoltenberg’s comments came as public support in Finland and Sweden for increasing NATO membership in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Media speculation in the two countries suggests the two could apply in mid-May.
“It’s her decision,” said Stoltenberg. “But if they decide to apply, Finland and Sweden will be given a warm welcome and I expect that process to move quickly.”
He didn’t give an exact timeframe, but said the two could expect some protection should Russia try to intimidate them from the moment their applications to join are made until they formally join.
Stoltenberg said he was “confident that there are ways to bridge this transition period in a way that is good enough and works for both Finland and Sweden”.
NATO’s collective security guarantee ensures that all member countries must come to the aid of any ally who is under attack. Stoltenberg added that many NATO allies have now pledged and provided a total of at least $8 billion in military assistance to Ukraine.
Before the war in Ukraine began, Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded that NATO halt its expansion and withdraw its troops from Russia’s borders. So the prospect of neighboring Finland and Sweden joining the transatlantic alliance is unlikely to be welcomed in Moscow.
Finland has a conflicted history with Russia, with whom it shares a 1,340-kilometer border. For centuries, as part of the Kingdom of Sweden and as an independent nation, the Finns have participated in dozens of wars against their eastern neighbor, including two fighting with the Soviet Union in 1939-40 and 1941-44.
In the post-war period, however, Finland pursued pragmatic political and economic relations with Moscow, while remaining militarily non-aligned and a neutral buffer between East and West.
Sweden has avoided military alliances for more than 200 years, choosing a path of peace after centuries of war with its neighbors.
Both countries ended traditional neutrality by joining the European Union in 1995 and deepening cooperation with NATO. However, a majority of the people of both countries have remained firmly opposed to full membership of the Alliance – until now.
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Follow AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine