Sweden and Finland moved closer to joining NATO on Tuesday as ambassadors from all 30 member states signed accession protocols for the two Nordic states to join the alliance. “This is truly a historic moment. For Finland, for Sweden, for NATO and for our common security,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said of the alliance’s most significant expansion in decades. Legislatures for each country must now approve Sweden’s and Finland’s bids, a process that could take months. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, front row from left, pose with other leaders for a group photo during the NATO summit in Madrid, Spain, on Wednesday, June 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) Canada was the first country out of the gates to ratify the accession protocols, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urging allies to “move quickly to complete their ratification processes to limit opportunities for interference by adversaries.” Sweden and Finland applied for membership in May, but entry appeared to be hampered when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked the countries to extradite members of a Kurdish rebel group that Turkey considers terrorists. UKRAINE’S ORPHANS STRIPPED AS AMERICAN FAMILIES FIGHT TO SAVE THEM FROM WAR The three countries reached a joint agreement last week, which Sweden and Finland promised to uphold on Tuesday. “We will fully honor the memorandum. Of course, there are no lists or anything like that in the memorandum, but what we will do is to have better cooperation when it comes to terrorists,” Swedish Foreign Minister Anne Linde said in a news release. conference. Turkish, Swedish and Finnish officials meet during a NATO summit in Madrid, Spain, June 28, 2022. (REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura/File Photo) CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Erdogan warned after the deal was signed that Turkey’s parliament would not approve the accession protocols if the Nordic nations “fulfilled their duties”. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February prompted historically neutral Sweden and Finland to apply to join NATO. If approved, Russia’s borders with NATO countries will more than double. The Assocaited Press contributed to this report. Paul Best is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @KincaidBest.
