All participants of today's meeting between current and potential NATO members recognized this day as historic. Today in Brussels, the foreign ministers of Finland and Sweden signed protocols on joining NATO. All the participating countries have also signed it, and now the matter remains the smallest: the protocol must be ratified by each of the member countries of the alliance.
We will remind that the path from a neutral country to almost a member of NATO took place in a record short time. In May, both states applied for membership, by June 29 the nuances with Turkey were resolved, which blocked the joining of the 2 states to the alliance. And on June 29, at the NATO summit in Madrid, it was officially announced that Sweden and Finland would join the organization.
According to all 32 parties, the membership of Sweden and Finland will strengthen not only the security of the new member states but also the strengthening of NATO's capabilities.
No one mentioned Russia today, although, for the most part, it was precisely because of its aggressive policy that strong and traditionally neutral states decided to join the military-defense alliance. We remind you that "Putin is not against" the step of the states, but has already hinted at some ghostly "measures" in response to the appearance of NATO on the border with Russia.
