According to Joe Biden, the NATO memberships of Finland and Sweden make the military alliance unprecedentedly strong. Already 23 NATO countries have ratified the membership applications of Finland and Sweden.
20:41•Updated 22:50
President of the United States Joe Biden signed Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO accession documents today, Tuesday evening.
Biden praised Finland and Sweden in his speech.
– Finland and Sweden have strong democratic institutions, strong armies and strong and transparent economies. The countries meet all NATO conditions. We’re sure of it. They make our alliance stronger, and their membership makes America safer.
According to Biden, NATO will become stronger than ever before when Finland and Sweden join as members of the military alliance.
Biden also emphasized that the US commitment to NATO’s defense is of historic importance in a world overshadowed by Russia’s war of aggression and the rise of autocratic leaders. He also thanked Congress for its cross-party support for Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership.
According to Biden, the Russian president Vladimir Putin believed he could break NATO ranks when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but Putin was wrong.
– He wanted the Finnishization of NATO, but instead he got the NATOization of Finland, and at the same time Sweden, Biden pointed out.
Already 23 NATO countries have accepted the applications of Finland and Sweden
Last week, the US Senate approved Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership applications almost unanimously by a vote of 95–1. In a discussion that lasted more than three hours, the senators praised Finland and Sweden as NATO’s new model students.
Since spring, the United States has already visibly supported the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO. The consensus across party lines on the matter has been exceptional.
From the perspective of the United States, Finland and Sweden are strengthening NATO’s defense. Membership would also be symbolically important in light of the war of aggression waged by Russia.
In addition to the United States, 22 NATO countries have already accepted the membership applications of Finland and Sweden. In total, there are 30 member states in the military alliance.
The biggest question mark is Turkey. Its final position is still unclear, although in June it accepted the invitation of Finland and Sweden to become NATO members.