The US State Department said, without giving further details, that it expects Sweden and Finland to join NATO “as soon as possible”.
“We hope to be able to welcome Sweden and Finland into NATO as soon as possible,” Deputy Foreign Minister Vedant Patel said.
“We believe they are ready to join NATO,” Patel said. “They are ready to become members of NATO. Both countries, Sweden and Finland, are members of NATO’s Partnership for Peace and Partnerships for Increased Opportunities. These are countries whose armed forces are already working in harmony with the forces of the alliance.
According to Patel, the United States has recognized “Turkey’s legitimate security concerns”.
“But we also appreciate the concrete steps taken by Finland and Sweden to address these concerns,” he added.
“Of course it’s a process, and that process is ongoing,” Patel said.
