U.S. President Joe Biden, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finlands President Sauli Niinistö arrive to speak in the Rose Garden after a meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 19, 2022.
Mandel Ngan | AFP | beautiful pictures
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden said on Thursday that the United States fully supports Sweden and Finland’s proposal to join NATO after both countries began the formal process of applying to join the alliance.
Biden, standing alongside Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, said the two countries would “make NATO stronger.” He called their move to join the treaty a “victory for democracy.”
The president pledged to work with Congress – which must approve US approval of NATO bids – and 30 members of the world’s most powerful military alliance to quickly bring Sweden and Finland together. Lan into the group.
“There’s no question, NATO is relevant, it’s effective, and it’s needed more than ever,” Biden said after a tripartite meeting with the leaders.
The move comes as Russia’s attack on Ukraine has raised concerns among other countries in the region. Moscow, long wary of NATO expansion, has opposed the two nations’ plans to join the alliance.
Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO and any “expansion of military infrastructure into this territory will certainly cause our reaction.”
Similarly, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday that Russia “will be forced to take retaliatory steps, both of a military-technical nature and of a different nature, to deter threats for their national security arise in this matter.”
Both Finland and Sweden have met many of the requirements for NATO membership. Those include having a functioning democratic political system, a willingness to provide economic transparency, and the ability to contribute militarily to NATO missions.
However, all 30 NATO members must accept a country’s offer in order for that country to be accepted into the alliance.
Earlier this week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would not accept NATO applications from both Sweden and Finland. He cited their support for Kurdish organizations that Turkey considers a security threat.
He added that delegations from other countries should not bother going to Turkey to try to convince him otherwise.
Niinisto and Andersson both addressed Erdogan’s concerns in speeches in the Rose Garden of the White House.
“We take terrorism very seriously and condemn terrorism in all its forms,” said Niinisto, adding that Finland regularly works with its allies to combat terrorist plots.
Andersson said that Sweden is talking to all NATO member states and holding additional talks with Turkey to discuss specific concerns.
