NATO Begins Ratification Process To Add Finland And Sweden To Alliance—Here’s What Happens Next

Topline

NATO on Tuesday officially began the ratification process to add of Finland and Sweden to the Western military alliance, a move that is expected to garner swift support from the alliance’s members although the threat of a last-minute veto from Turkey remains.

Key Facts

The start of the ratification process was announced by NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and it comes after the ambassadors of the current member states signed the Accession Protocols for Sweden and Finland.

Under the ratification process, the Nordic nations’ bid to join NATO will now have to be formally approved by the parliaments of the current 30 member states.

Even though the proposal has formal support from all member states, the ratification process could take several months as it moves through the legislative bodies of all member nations.

Ratification of the membership applications in the U.S. will require more than two-thirds support from the Senate and is widely expected to pass after more than 80 Senators formally expressed their support for Finland and Sweden’s accession in May.

On Saturday, President Joe Biden sent two reports—one each for Finland and Sweden—to key congressional committees outlining the readiness of the two nations to join the alliance.

Key Background

Last week during a summit of NATO heads of states, Finland and Sweden were formally invited to join after Turkey signed a pact to drop its opposition to the bids. Under a trilateral agreement signed by the three countries last week, Finland and Sweden agreed to support Turkey’s efforts to fight “terrorist” activity from various separatist groups including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its affiliates. If ratified the accession of the formerly neutral Finland and Sweden into the U.S.-led military alliance would be a historic move that would place NATO right at Russia’s border. In response to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, NATO unveiled plans to strengthen its presence in Europe by increasing the number of high-readiness troops on the continent to “well over 300,000.” This would represent the biggest expansion of NATO presence in Europe since the end of the Cold War. Full NATO members have a mutual defense pact which means an attack on one ally is considered an attack on all its members. This protection will be extended to Finland and Sweden only after their membership is ratified.

What To Watch For

Despite dropping its objection to Sweden and Finland’s bid the threat of a Turkish veto of the application continues to persist. After the announcement of the agreement last week, Turkey’s Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ said Ankara will seek the extradition of 33 “terrorists” from the two countries—12 from Finland and 21 from Sweden. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also warned his country’s parliament could block the process of accession if the two Nordic nations fail to meet his government’s extradition demands.

Crucial Quote

After announcing the start of the ratification process Stoltenberg told reporters: “This is a good day for Finland and Sweden and a good day for NATO… With 32 nations around the table, we will be even stronger and our people will be even safer as we face the biggest security crisis in decades.”

Further Reading

NATO Officially Invites Sweden, Finland To Join Alliance (Forbes)

NATO Pledges 300,000 Troops In Biggest Defense ‘Overhaul’ Since Cold War As Ukraine War Enters Fourth Month (Forbes)