Last update: May 6 – 2022 7:48 am
NATO flag
Despite the threats of Russian President “Vladimir Putin”, Sweden and Finland announced their intention to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the two countries that have been neutral for a long period of time, and have avoided entering a global military wing. However, the two European countries are concerned about the implementation of this step.
In this context, the White House announced that the United States is confident in its ability to address any security concerns that Sweden and Finland may have regarding the time period between their NATO membership application and formal entry into the alliance.
Sweden and Finland are concerned that they will be exposed to Russian threats during the membership application process, which can take up to a year for all 30 members of the alliance to agree.
“We are confident that we can find ways to address any concerns either country may have about the time period between the NATO application and formal entry into the alliance,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said at a news briefing.
Sweden and Finland are expected to decide whether to apply to join NATO this month.
Swedish Foreign Minister Anne Lindh said after a meeting with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Wednesday that she had received security guarantees, but did not give any details.
Last month, Sweden’s defense minister noted that an application to join NATO could provoke reactions from Russia, including cyberattacks and other measures such as propaganda campaigns to undermine Sweden’s security.