Stoltenberg says that Finland and Sweden meet all the criteria for NATO membership.
There is no sign that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is seeking peace and has changed his plans. Now the entire civilized world is at a critical moment in terms of security.
This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Helsinki on Tuesday during a meeting with Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin.
According to him, the priority for Finland and Sweden with joining NATO is “the fastest”, pointing out that this is “the fastest process of entry into the history of the Alliance.”
Stoltenberg says that the countries meet all the criteria for NATO membership and have fulfilled their obligations. According to him, there are no demands from Budapest to Finland and Sweden.
“It's time to complete the ratification,” Stoltenberg said, referring to negotiations with Turkey, which has not ratified the accession protocol.
He noted that NATO is making great efforts to ensure that Finland and Sweden become members of the Alliance before the July summit in Vilnius, and that “it is in the interests of the organization for this to happen simultaneously.”
Finland and Sweden submitted their bids to NATO last May in response to Russia's all-out attack on Ukraine. To date, 28 out of 30 countries have ratified their accession protocols. Only Turkey and Hungary did not.
According to the latest data, the Hungarian parliamentarians should consider ratification in mid-March. Also, trilateral Finnish-Swedish-Turkish talks should continue in March.
The Prime Minister of Finland also pointed to the need for further military support for Ukraine.
“The more and faster we deliver heavy weapons, the sooner the war will end,” she admitted.
Marin added that “the future of Ukraine is in NATO and the EU, but now the most important thing is that it survives as an independent state.”
Recall that official Washington also believes that Finland and Sweden are ready for membership in the Alliance.
Earlier, German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock called on Turkey and Hungary to ratify Finland's and Sweden's applications for NATO membership.
