Finland and Sweden Officially Request To Join NATO

Look Who’s OFFICIALLY Applying To Join NATO

(RepublicanPress.org) – Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, Finland and Sweden have been toying with the idea of joining NATO. On May 18, news outlets reported both of the Nordic countries applied to join the US and others in the alignment group. Although Russia has spoken out against the measure, even threatening retaliation, the leaders of Finland and Sweden decided to apply anyway.

A historic day!

Today, Sweden and Finland hand in letters expressing their countries’ interest to apply for @NATO membership to SG @jensstoltenberg #SwedenNATO pic.twitter.com/ZbdfJW3xtu

— Sweden at NATO (@SwedenNato) May 18, 2022

Former Defense Intelligence Agency Officer Rebekah Koffler has no doubt NATO will approve the applications to join the organization. Reports say the approval process will only take about 2 weeks, as opposed to the typical 8 to 12 months, given the war in Ukraine. The timeframe should still give enough time for the 30 countries currently within NATO to consider the new potential members.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been the only one vocal about his country’s reservation about the Scandinavian countries joining the fold. That’s due to Sweden and others allegedly supporting Kurdish militants — a group Turkey lists as terrorists.

Membership in NATO requires a unanimous vote to approve additional members into the organization.

Russia previously threatened a possible nuclear response to the idea of Finland and Sweden joining NATO. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov more recently said the move doesn’t make much of a difference, pointing out that the two nations have taken part in NATO exercises in the past.