A Pentagon and State Department official praised Finland‘s and Sweden’s militaries during testimony on Capitol Hill amid the countries’ respective efforts to join the NATO alliance.
Dr. Celeste Wallander, the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, spoke in support of the Scandinavian countries’ possible entrance into the alliance during a hearing on the subject on Wednesday afternoon. The two countries have sought to join NATO in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands and the destruction of civilian and cultural sites at the hands of a larger military.
NATO LEADERS TO ‘ADDRESS’ SECURITY CONCERNS ON CHINA AT SUMMIT, STOLTENBERG SAYS
Finland would be able to help the alliance improve in the cyber domain, Wallander said, while Sweden would bring its knowledge of the Arctic and undersea environments to the table.
“In particular, Finland would augment NATO’s capacity to defend critical infrastructure, operate in the cyber domain, and strengthen individual and collective resilience,” she explained, adding, “Sweden is both a highly capable military partner and home to a world-class defense industry. Its military expertise in the Arctic and undersea environments would substantially advance alliance capabilities.”
Finland is already meeting NATO’s defense spending agreement, which requires that alliance members spend at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense, while the Swedish government has “committed to meeting the 2% pledge as soon as possible and no later than 2028,” Wallander noted.
She also affirmed Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez’s (D-NJ) comment that both countries have “large, technologically advanced militaries, and both have long partnered with NATO, contributing to NATO operations … Both countries either meet or have plans to meet the 2% NATO spending benchmark.”
Their admittance to the alliance is being held up by Turkey. Turkish officials have accused both countries of supporting terrorists on the grounds that the countries have refused to deport Turkish nationals that Ankara has accused of loyalty to the PKK, an ethnic Kurdish militant group.
Karen Donfried, the assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, who testified alongside Wallander, characterized Turkey’s concern as “legitimate,” though she reiterated the U.S. push for all parties to work out their differences.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“We recognize Turkey’s legitimate concerns regarding terrorism, which NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg has also highlighted. We continue to encourage Stockholm, Ankara, and Helsinki to work together to find a path forward that addresses the security concerns of all allies and urge the alliance to reach a consensus on the accession process in an expeditious manner,” she explained. “We are confident Sweden and Finland would be net contributors to the alliance and their membership will bolster the security of every NATO member.”
Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), the committee’s ranking member, characterized the discussions to be in “good faith” and said he thinks it’s “best left to them … without us at this point in time.”
