NATO headquarters in Brussels. File photoPRAGUE, May 12Slovakia supports Finland's intention to apply for NATO membership, which will strengthen the security of all democratic Europe, Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger said on Thursday. «I welcome the support for NATO membership, which in The president and prime minister of Finland said in a joint statement that this will strengthen the security not only of Finland, but of all democratic Europe, of each of us,» Heger wrote in one of the social networks.The history of NATO expansionAccording to the Slovak prime minister, the Russian authorities themselves contributed to what seemed implausible for many years — that the Finnish society would link its security with NATO. «This is called the policy of ill-conceived consequences. They were afraid of NATO, but only strengthen it. weaker,» Heger wrote.Stoltenberg welcomed Finland's intention to apply to NATO The head of the alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, noted that the alliance would be glad to see Finland and Sweden in its ranks and provide them with the opportunity to quickly join. NATO expects these countries to make their own decisions about possible membership in the coming «months and weeks,» US Permanent Representative to NATO Julianne Smith said. She added that the United States would welcome the accession of these countries to the alliance. Russia has repeatedly noted that NATO is aimed at confrontation. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov stated that further expansion of the alliance would not bring greater security to Europe, NATO has an aggressive character. At the same time, he noted that he did not consider the possible entry of Sweden and Finland into NATO an existential threat to Russia. , Putin said
