Anders Fogh Rasmussen: Sweden and Finland will be able to join NATO, the doors will remain open
Photo: Ints Kalnins / Reuters
Finland and Sweden may in the future instantly join NATO. Such a term for the entry of these two countries into the alliance was allowed by former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, his words are quoted by RIA Novosti.
He said that if these states submit such a petition, it can be considered very quickly. “You can become a member the very next day, because you meet all the necessary membership criteria,” he stressed and added that the doors of NATO will remain open, despite Russian protests.
Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, spoke about the same instant acceptance of countries into the alliance earlier in January. According to him, although such a development of events is possible, these countries should independently make such a decision. At the same time, for example, Finland has no plans to join NATO yet.
As Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, Finland and Sweden can decide the fate of their possible entry into NATO themselves, and the Russian side cannot prevent this.
Potentially, the accession of the two countries to the bloc is fraught with risks for Russia. Among other things, the expansion of the alliance could lead to a serious advantage in military power in favor of Moscow's opponents. “The block can only be directed against Russia – there is simply no one else to fight with. As a result, if we take not only NATO, but also all countries connected by allied relations with the United States, we will get 3/4 of the armed forces of the planet against our country, ”military historian Boris Yulin told Lente.ru.
