MADRID, 4 (EUROPA PRESS)
The Heads of State and Government of the NATO countries have celebrated this Tuesday the incorporation of Finland into the Atlantic Alliance, in a day that several leaders have described as “historic” and that supposes the entry of the 31st member of this block , focused on security and defense issues.
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, sees NATO “stronger than ever” following “the fastest ratification process in NATO’s modern history”, although he has acknowledged that Sweden’s entry is pending, which he hopes can be completed “as soon as possible”. In fact, he has directly urged Turkey and Hungary to conclude their part, since they are the only two countries that remain to give the go-ahead.
Biden has claimed in a statement to strengthen the Atlantic Alliance as opposed to what his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, was supposedly seeking when he launched his “brutal war of aggression once morest Ukraine.” This war not only did not divide Europe and NATO, but now “we are more united than ever.”
“It is a historic day for you and for our alliance. A step that makes us all safer,” said the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, who has called for continuing to take “the necessary steps” so that Sweden may also join the Alliance.
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has also given a “welcome to Finland” on the one hand and, on the other, has expressed confidence that “very soon” the “Swedish friends” will also be able to complete the path that both Nordic countries began together in May 2022.
Along the same lines, the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has celebrated what he considers “a triumph for transatlantic security”, with an allusion to the pending accession of Sweden, which has “the full support” of Berlin.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas stressed that, with the addition of Finland, “the northern neighbor” will also be “NATO’s neighbor at the table”, a “monumental” milestone for security around the Baltic Sea “and in the Alliance as a whole”. “We are looking forward to welcoming Sweden as soon as possible,” she added.
The Czech Petr Fiala considers that “it is a historic moment for Europe and for its security”, while the Pole Mateusz Morawiecki has highlighted that “strong allies provide a guarantee of security” both nationally and internationally.
An optimism also shared by the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo: “With Finland joining NATO, our Alliance will be stronger and Europe will be more secure.”
