Finland’s Ambassador to NATO Klaus Korhonen, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Sweden’s Ambassador to NATO Axel Wernhof attend a ceremony marking Sweden’s and Finland’s application for membership in Brussels, Belgium, 18 May 2022 JOHANNA GERON
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that the military alliance was ready to take advantage of the historic moment and quickly allow Finland and Sweden to join its ranks after the two countries applied for membership.
Official statements made by the ambassadors of Finland and Sweden to NATO set a security clock to tick. Russia, whose war against Ukraine has prompted them to join the military, has warned it will not welcome such a move and may respond.
“I warmly welcome the requests of Finland and Sweden to join NATO. “You are our closest partners,” Stoltenberg said. “All Allies agree on the importance of NATO enlargement. We all agree that we need to stand together and we all agree that this is a historic moment that we need to seize. “
“This is a good day at a critical time for our security,” said the radiant Stoltenberg as he stood beside the two envoys with NATO flags, Finland and Sweden on their backs.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on the alliance to halt its expansion to Russia’s borders, and several NATO allies, led by the United States and Britain, have signaled they are ready to support Finland and Sweden’s security if it tries to provoke or destabilize them. . during the time it takes to become a full member.
The countries will only benefit from NATO’s security guarantee under Article 5 – the part of the Alliance’s founding treaty that promises that any attack on one member will be considered an attack on all of them – once the ratification process is complete. after a few months.
For now, however, the application must be weighed by the 30 member states. The process is expected to take about two weeks, although Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed reservations about the accession of Finland and Sweden.
If his objections are resolved and accession talks go as expected, the two could become members in a few months. The process usually takes 8 to 12 months, but NATO wants to act quickly, given the threat from Russia looming over Scandinavian countries.
Canada, for example, says it expects to ratify its accession protocol in just a few days, while Estonian Prime Minister Kaya Kallas tweeted in the Baltic region: “I encourage a swift accession process. We in Estonia will finish our part quickly. “
Stoltenberg said NATO allies were “determined to work on all issues and reach quick conclusions”.
The fact that the Scandinavian partners have applied together means that they will not waste time having to ratify their application for membership.
“The fact that Sweden and Finland go hand in hand is a strength. “Now the process of joining the negotiations continues,” Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde told the Swedish news agency TT.
Public opinion in Finland and Sweden has changed significantly in favor of membership since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February.
Finland and Sweden are cooperating closely with NATO. They have functioning democracies, well-funded armed forces and contribute to the alliance’s military operations and air police. All the obstacles they face will be only technical or possibly political.
The NATO membership process is not formalized and steps may vary. But first, their applications for accession will be considered at a meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) of the 30 member states, possibly at ambassadorial level.
The NAC will decide whether to move to membership and what steps need to be taken to achieve it. This largely depends on the extent to which candidate countries are in line with NATO’s political, military and legal standards and whether they contribute to security in the North Atlantic area. This should not be a significant problem for Finland and Sweden.
Going forward, during the accession negotiations, which could be concluded in just one day, once the terms of those negotiations have been set, the two will be asked to commit to complying with Article 5 and fulfilling the commitments on internal expenditure. NATO’s budget of up to about $ 2.5 billion, divided proportionally among 32 member states.
Finland and Sweden will also be made aware of their role in NATO’s defense planning, as well as any other legal or security obligations they may have, such as personnel inspections and the processing of classified information.
Our morning and evening newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a brief summary of the most important headlines of the day. Register today.
Add Comment