Olaf Scholz affirms Germany's support to Finland & Sweden for NATO membership

In a key development, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday stated that his country will support the admission of Finland and Sweden to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) if they apply for it. He said this while addressing a joint press conference with Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin as well as Swedish Prime Minister Sweden Magdalena.  On Tuesday, the Prime Ministers of Finland and Sweden attended a meeting of the German Cabinet in Meseberg. "It is clear that if these two countries decide to be part of the NATO alliance, they can count on our support," Scholz added, as per the DPA news agency. 

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has stated that if Finland and Sweden opt to join the 30-member military alliance, they will be "welcomed with open arms." He made this statement during his address at the NATO Youth Summit on April 28. The NATO chief emphasised the need for allies' robust support for Ukraine as it continues to fight the Russian aggression. "It's Finland and Sweden's decision to join NATO and if they decide to do so, they will be warmly welcomed. I also expect the process to go quickly and smoothly," Stoltenberg remarked, as per The Associated Press (AP). 

Russia warns Sweden & Finland against joining NATO

Meanwhile, the Federation of Russia has often warned Finland and Sweden of dire consequences if they go ahead with their plans of joining the military alliance. The warning by Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, came in April as support rose in both countries for NATO membership. A survey conducted by the Demoscope Institute suggested that Sweden's membership in the military alliance now has the support of the country's 57% of the population, up from 51% in March. Meanwhile, for Finland, the public's support for joining the military alliance has risen to more than 60%, according to a poll. 

About NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a 30-member intergovernmental military alliance. The organisation was established in the aftermath of World War II to implement the North Atlantic Treaty, which was signed on 4 April 1949. The alliance is a collective security arrangement in which NATO's independent member states commit to defending each other in the event of an external attack. Since the end of the Cold War, the alliance has been involved in military operations in the Balkans, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa, among other places.

Image: AP