NATO Officially Invites Sweden and Finland to Join Alliance

Moments ago at the Madrid Summit Declaration: "Today we have decided to invite Finland and Sweden to become members of NATO, and agreed to sign Accession Protocols. In any accession to the Alliance, it is of vital importance that the legitimate security concerns of Allies are properly addressed.".NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg told members that the organization cannot discount the possibility of Russian attacks on allies after the violation of territorial and national sovereignty of Ukraine. French President Macron and German Foreign Minister Baerbock told the Scandinavian duo that they welcome the full consensus of the alliance and support the two nations' rapid accession..NATO currently has 30 member states, the addition of Sweden and Finland will bring it to 32. According to NATO: "European countries that wish to join NATO are initially invited to begin an Intensified Dialogue with the Alliance about their aspirations and related reforms. Aspirants may then be invited to join the Membership Action Plan, a programme which helps nations prepare for possible future membership. Participation does not guarantee membership, but is a key preparation mechanism..To join the Alliance, nations are expected to respect the values of the North Atlantic Treaty, and to meet certain political, economic and military criteria, set out in the Alliance's 1995 Study on Enlargement. These criteria include a functioning democratic political system based on a market economy; fair treatment of minority populations; a commitment to resolve conflicts peacefully; an ability and willingness to make a military contribution to NATO operations; and a commitment to democratic civil-military relations and institutions." The next step is for the two nations to be approved via all 30 members signing the Accession Protocol , then they can accede to the Washington Treaty and become full members, a process that can be accelerated if all 30 members sign the protocol this week in Madrid. The two nations could become full members of NATO in less than a month.