Joe Biden. File photoWASHINGTON, 9 Aug. US President Joe Biden signed the protocols on the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO, RIA Novosti correspondent reports. The signing ceremony was held at the White House. In addition to the head of state, Vice President Kamala Harris also attended. «I urge the remaining Allies to complete their own ratification procedures as soon as possible <…> Sweden and Finland have strong democratic institutions, strong armies, strong and transparent economies «They meet all the criteria for membership in NATO. We are confident of this. They will strengthen the alliance, increasing the security of Americans in the process,» the American leader said. Last week, the upper house of the US Congress almost unanimously approved the relevant resolution. -content/uploads/2022/08/ff7f052ed63a528ca4cb7abc2ab13bdb.jpg» />Medvedev said that Russia will respond to the entry of Sweden and Finland into NATOThus, the United States became the 23rd country out of 30 that ratified the entry of the Nordic countries into the alliance. As of August 9, the application has not yet been ratified by Spain, Greece, Portugal, Slovakia, Turkey, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Helsinki and Stockholm abandoned their longstanding neutrality and requested NATO membership shortly after the start of the Russian special operation in Ukraine.
The battle for the Arctic: what threatens the entry of Sweden and Finland into NATO At the end of June, Sweden, Finland and Turkey signed a security memorandum that unlocked the start of negotiations on joining the two states to the bloc. Ankara has previously hampered the start of this process, accusing Stockholm and Helsinki of supporting the Kurdistan Workers' Party. As a result, the countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism, including measures against the PKK, information exchange and an extradition agreement. At the same time, Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned more than once that Ankara could slow down the accession process if the agreements were not implemented. Russia has repeatedly noted that the North Atlantic Alliance is aimed at confrontation. At the same time, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the accession of Finland and Sweden a formal step, which, nevertheless, could entail actual consequences. He also stressed that NATO thus again approached the Russian borders, so the Ministry of Defense will analyze the current situation and will work to strengthen the western flanks. principles for 30 crowns: how Sweden joined NATO
