Finland, Sweden sign protocol to join NATO

Tags: International News

30 NATO allies have signed the protocol to make Sweden, Finland members.

• It will allow them to join the nuclear-armed alliance once parliaments of all NATO countries ratify the decision.

• It is the most significant expansion of the alliance since 1990.

• The signing at NATO headquarters follows an agreement with Turkey at the NATO summit in Madrid last week.

• The protocol means that Helsinki and Stockholm can participate in NATO meetings and obtain intelligence, but will not be protected by a NATO defence clause.

• NATO defence clause means that an attack on one ally is an attack against all until ratification.

• It is likely to take up to a year to become part of the NATO defence clause.

• All 30 allies signed accession protocols for Sweden and Finland at a ceremony in Brussels on 5 July, making the countries formal invitees and allowing them access to almost all NATO meetings.

• Russia warning

• Moscow has repeatedly warned both countries against joining NATO.

• On 12 March, the Russian Foreign Ministry said there would be "serious military and political consequences".

• Turkish warning

• Turkey is threatening to veto NATO membership for Sweden and Finland.

• Turkey will not ratify membership of the NATO for these countries if they don’t fufill their promises to combat terrorism and extradite suspects under a memorandum of understanding reached at an alliance summit in Madrid last week.

• About North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) 

• NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance consisting of 30 member states belonging to Europe and North America (28 European states, the US and Canada).

• NATO aims to guarantee the security of its members through political and military means.

• According to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, an armed attack against any NATO member in Europe or North America shall be deemed an attack against all NATO members.

• Article 5 has been invoked only once so far after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the US.

• The last country to join NATO was North Macedonia in 2020.

• Headquarters- Brussels, Belgium

Kindly also see 23 May 2022 post