NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that both Finland and Sweden have officially handed in their applications for membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
On May 18th, after receiving both applications Stoltenberg told reporters, "I warmly welcome the requests by Finland and Sweden to join NATO. You are our closest partners. The applications you have made today are an historic step. Allies will now consider the next steps on your path to NATO".
The application process should take around two weeks, although membership requires that all NATO alliance members are in agreement. Turkey however has expressed the desire to block the bid due to their belief that both Finland and Sweden are supporting the PKK and YPG Kurdish groups which Turkey considers terrorist organizations.
Maria Zakharova, the director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the response of the Russian Federation to Finland's decision to join NATO will be a "surprise" and will be taken primarily by the military.
She also said that a whole range of factors and features will be taken into account that will accompany the country's membership in the NATO alliance.
On May 18th, after receiving both applications Stoltenberg told reporters, "I warmly welcome the requests by Finland and Sweden to join NATO. You are our closest partners. The applications you have made today are an historic step. Allies will now consider the next steps on your path to NATO".
The application process should take around two weeks, although membership requires that all NATO alliance members are in agreement. Turkey however has expressed the desire to block the bid due to their belief that both Finland and Sweden are supporting the PKK and YPG Kurdish groups which Turkey considers terrorist organizations.
Maria Zakharova, the director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the response of the Russian Federation to Finland's decision to join NATO will be a "surprise" and will be taken primarily by the military.
She also said that a whole range of factors and features will be taken into account that will accompany the country's membership in the NATO alliance.