The top NATO official said the military alliance is opening its arms to two countries expected to apply next month.
Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary-general, said that if Finland and Sweden decide they want to join the alliance, the process will be quick and easy for them. The two countries announced they were considering joining the alliance, throwing off years of neutrality after watching Russia invade Ukraine.
“It’s their decision,” Stoltenberg said. “But if they decide to apply, Finland and Sweden will be warmly welcomed, and I expect that process to go quickly.”
Finland, which shares 830 miles of border with Russia, and Sweden, which is home to important maritime routes through the Baltic Sea, would receive security guarantees from NATO during their application processes, Stoltenberg said.
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The length of time it takes for countries to join NATO, from application to ascension, varies, though Stoltenberg appeared to suggest the alliance can exert some control over the process.
Countries interested in joining the alliance are subject to a seven-step process, beginning with an interview in Brussels that assesses whether countries are willing and capable of meeting the “political, legal and military obligations and commitments of NATO membership.”
NATO has an “open door” policy that allows the alliance to decide which countries it wants to allow in. However, any new member must be approved by a consensus of current members. Applicants must also prove they are capable of contributing to the alliance’s security apparatus.
While Ukraine is listed as one of three countries that have declared an aspiration to join NATO, along with Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged last month his country will not be joining the alliance.
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However, earlier this week, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin suggested Ukraine could apply for NATO membership in the future.
NATO has expanded from 12 to 30 countries since it was established in 1949. The most recent country to join the alliance was the Republic of North Macedonia on March 27, 2020.
