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It is now official, and an early nightmare of Moscow becomes a reality, ironically, instigated by itself: Finland and Sweden have formally applied to join the world’s largest military alliance, a move that driven precisely by security concerns due to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Stoltenberg: I cordially welcome the requests of Finland and Sweden to join NATO. You are our closest partners. This is a good day at a crucial time for our safety.
Diplomats explain that the accession process is expected to take two weeks, while ratification in the parliaments of 30 member states could take up to a year. The biggest impasse is the opposition of Turkey; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed reservations about the membership of Finland and Sweden.
If this hurdle is overcome, and accession talks proceed without further problems, both countries can become members within a few months. Although the process usually takes eight to 12 months, NATO wants to move quickly given the Russian threat that hangs over the heads of the Nordic countries.
Although for decades Finland and Sweden had chosen to stick to their policy of neutrality, Russian aggression in Ukraine caused public opinion in both countries to change, now orienting massively in favor of membership. Ahead of what has already been done, Vladimir Putin softened his tone the day before, distinguishing between NATO membership and the approach of Western military infrastructure on Russia’s borders.
“In terms of enlargement, including Finland and Sweden as new members, Moscow has no problem with these countries. The problem is the “aggressive” use of enlargement by the United States, which is exacerbating an already extremely tense situation.“, Was the explanation of the Russian president for the interlocutors, who listened in silence.
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