NATO logo in front of the headquarters in Brussels. File photoMOSCOW, May 12NATO expects Finland and Sweden to apply to join the alliance «in the coming days» and be quickly granted membership, Reuters reported, citing diplomats and officials. “Yes and yes: they will apply and they will be granted membership,” a senior official, who wished to remain anonymous, told the agency. According to agency sources, during the ratification of their membership, which will take a year, the alliance will strengthen its presence in Northern Europe, increase the number of exercises. In addition, the rotation of US and British forces in Finland and Sweden is possible. Sources in the bloc said that Sweden and Finland's applications for joining the North Atlantic Alliance will be approved either at the NATO summit in Madrid on June 28-30, or even before it. Some diplomats expect countries to apply weeks before the summit.We are very NATO. What will happen if the Swedes and Finns join the alliance»There are no exact dates. We will not wait for the Madrid summit if approval can be given earlier,» said one of the representatives of the alliance. in NATO against the backdrop of a Russian special operation in Ukraine. The Secretary General of the organization Jens Stoltenberg supported this idea and promised to provide both countries with a quick entry. The Kremlin called the accession of Sweden and Finland to the alliance an existential threat to the country. And Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev announced the need to be prepared for the bloc's aggressive actions against the backdrop of attempts to expand its presence near the Russian borders. NATO troops near St. Petersburg
