Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that the world’s strongest military alliance had reached an agreement on the acceptance of Sweden and Finland after resolving Turkey’s concerns. The push for Sweden and Finland to join NATO comes as Russia’s attack on Ukraine heightens fears by other countries in the region. Moscow, long reluctant to expand NATO, has opposed the two nations’ plans to join the alliance. Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had stated that he would not approve NATO requests from both Sweden and Finland. He cited their support for Kurdish organizations that Turkey considers a security threat. All 30 NATO members must approve a country’s bid to be accepted into the alliance. Last week, Stoltenberg told reporters he was working to add Finland and Sweden to the NATO alliance “as soon as possible”. He said the addition of Sweden and Finland “would make them safer, NATO stronger and the Euro-Atlantic area safer”. “We are now actively working on the next steps in the accession process for both Finland and Sweden. And we are addressing Turkey’s security concerns, including the fight against terrorism,” Stoltenberg told Politico on Wednesday. Both Finland and Sweden already meet many of the conditions for NATO membership. Some of the requirements include a functioning democratic political system, a willingness to provide financial transparency and the ability to make a military contribution to NATO missions. In May, both nations began the formal application process for NATO membership. US President Joe Biden delivers comments alongside Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto at the White House Rose Garden in Washington, DC, May 19, 2022. Evelyn Hawkstein Reuters Then President Joe Biden, accompanied by Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Anderson, said the two countries “will make NATO stronger”. He described their moves to join the pact as a “victory for democracy”. Biden has pledged to work with Congress – which must ratify US approval of NATO nominations – and the other 29 members to quickly include Sweden and Finland in the group. “There is no question, NATO is relevant, it is effective and it is needed now more than ever,” Biden said on May 19 after a tripartite meeting at the White House with leaders.
