Swedish Defense Minister at Pentagon as Finland, Sweden Formally Apply to Join NATO

PENTAGON — 

Sweden’s protection minister was at the Pentagon Wednesday for talks as Finland and Sweden formally applied for membership in the NATO armed forces alliance in reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin told his Swedish counterpart, Peter Hultqvist, “We search forward to your contributions to the NATO alliance.”

Hultqvist claimed Sweden was doing exercises its appropriate to make its possess selections in delivering for its safety.

“This is a time when the democracies of Europe and North America need to stand with each other in opposition to Russia’s naked aggression,” Hultqvist reported.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg created the announcement Wednesday at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, flanked by the ambassadors from both of those countries just after obtaining their official software letters.

“This is a very good working day at a significant second for our protection,” Stoltenberg stated. “All allies concur on the significance of NATO enlargement. We all concur that we ought to stand jointly. And we all concur that this is an historic second which we need to seize.”

A senior U.S. protection official claimed Austin and Hultqvist talked about “the interim period of time amongst the application for NATO membership” and what the Pentagon anticipates “will be their greatest ascension in the alliance.”

The official claimed Austin made it “very clear” that the United States is relaxed with Sweden’s armed forces and would “be joyful to have a discussion with them about stability and capability needs that they may possibly have to help guarantee them and to discourage Russia, should really that be needed.”

U.S. President Joe Biden praised what he known as Sweden and Finland’s “important conclusion.” He will host Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and President Sauli Niinistö of Finland at the White Household on Thursday.

“I warmly welcome and strongly assistance the historic purposes from Finland and Sweden for membership in NATO and seem forward to operating with the U.S. Congress and our NATO allies to speedily bring Finland and Sweden into the strongest defensive alliance in history,” Biden claimed.

Finland’s parliament overwhelmingly voted to sign up for NATO Wednesday by a vote of 188 to 8.

Finland and Sweden’s apps mark a major departure from their many years-long neutrality posture dating to the Chilly War. Moscow’s final decision to invade neighboring Ukraine on February 24 lifted fears in both nations, especially in Finland, which shares a lengthy border with Russia of extra than 1,300 kilometers.

All 30 NATO member nations are expected to swiftly take into consideration the applications, a process that generally normally takes up to a calendar year.

Only NATO ally Turkey has expressed reservations about the Baltic neighbors becoming a member of the alliance, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accusing them of providing a haven to “terrorists” and imposing sanctions on Turkey.

NATO membership involves consensus acceptance from all current users.

Sweden and Finland are previously members of the European Union.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West that Moscow would respond if NATO bolstered its armed service presence in Finland and Sweden after the two Nordic nations declared Sunday they want to be a part of the U.S.-dominated alliance.