The Defense League NATO avoided the pitfalls of Finland’s and Sweden’s applications for membership at the Madrid Summit. However, it is not yet in loose waters.
21:44 • Updated 9:46 PM
MADRID The relief shone Jens Stoltenberg face as he summed up the achievements of the Madrid Summit.
The list is comprehensive: a new strategic concept that addresses future challenges, a multiplication of NATO’s preparedness forces and promises of significant additional investment in support of Ukraine.
NATO also took a stand against China for the first time as a challenger to Western values and rule-based world order.
In line with the spirit of the times, the Defense League is committed to cutting climate emissions from its activities.
However, the meeting made it historic decision to invite Finland and Sweden to join the Defense League. An agreement was reached between Finland, Sweden and Turkey, which had slowed down the membership project, on the eve of the first day of the meeting.
From NATO’s point of view, the order of march was the best possible. Instead of the triangular drama in Finland, Sweden and Turkey, NATO leaders were allowed to focus on the actual agenda of the meeting.
At the same time, a strong message went to the world that the president Vladimir Putin attempts to prevent NATO enlargement pulled the watershed and that NATO’s open door policy is in place.
– If there is disagreement or disagreement, it is my job as Secretary General to clear things up, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg replied when I asked him about the background to the talks on Tuesday.
The Secretary-General mentioned that he had visited the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğanin four long discussions with Turkey on concerns about Finland and Sweden. The breakthrough, however, required a summit in Madrid on Tuesday.
– This is how NATO works, time and meetings are required, the Norwegian who led the defense alliance for eight years continued.
I dare saythat Finland has hardly ever received so much international attention before. The journalists besieged the representatives of the Finnish delegation, congratulations even to the media representatives present.
The breakthrough is partly due to the work done by Finnish decision-makers, officials and diplomats to promote the NATO process.
The role of Secretary-General Stoltenberg and his staff in the process cannot be underestimated either. Norway’s ex-prime minister knows the needs of both Finland and Sweden – as well as the added value that the countries can bring to the Defense Alliance.
Stoltenberg has also emphasized the importance of Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership for Nordic co-operation. The Prime Minister of Iceland is on the same line Kristin Jakobsdóttirwhich in my interview anticipates that Nordic co – operation will intensify when Finland and Sweden become members.
Researcher at the Foreign Policy Institute Charly Salonius-Pasternak also sees “very much potential” in the Nordic region, which is made up of NATO countries, although he believes the Nordic countries will maintain their own defensive orientations regardless of NATO.
However, Finland and Sweden have NATO membership anything but patted.
The statements of the President of Turkey that Turkey will not be able to ratify the NATO membership of Finland and Sweden unless the countries fulfill the agreed promises indicate that further setbacks may still be in the offing.
These will hardly come as a surprise to the Finnish and Swedish negotiators.
It should be clear already at this stage that an important milestone on the way to membership will be reached next week, when the accession documents of Finland and Sweden are signed in Brussels.
After this, representatives of Finland and Sweden will be allowed to participate in NATO’s work as observers. The final security guarantees will be given to the countries only after all NATO countries have ratified the Acts of Accession. The only obstacle to this at the moment is Turkey.
NATO avoided the pitfalls of Finland’s and Sweden’s applications for membership at the Madrid Summit. However, it is not yet in loose waters.