NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that Finland, Sweden have officially applied to join the world’s biggest military alliance, a move driven by security concerns over Russia’s war in Ukraine.“ I warmly welcome the requests by Finland and Sweden to join NATO.... 24. Finland and Sweden are NATO’s closest partners.... They have functioning democracies, well-funded armed forces and contribute to the alliance’s military operations and air policing....

Neighboring Sweden is expected to decide on joining NATO in coming days.“ NATO membership would

decides to proceed with an application for NATO membership, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on

President," Zelenskiy said on Twitter.... " EC opinion on UA( Ukraine) application for# EU membership

Finland may have about the period of time after they apply for NATO membership and before they are

the membership process. Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia are due to launch their own border-free

All NATO members need to approve applications from countries seeking to join the alliance.... When

NATO membership, in a historic policy shift prompted by Russia's Feb.... Sweden is also planning to

BRUSSELS( Reuters)-Finland and Sweden formally applied to join the NATO alliance on Wednesday at allied headquarters, a decision spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and setting in motion an accession process that is expected to take only a few weeks. Sweden and Finland were both neutral throughout the Cold War, and their decision to join NATO is one of the most significant changes in Europe's security architecture for decades, reflecting a sweeping shift in public opinion in the Nordic regi

Putin before the Ukraine war, is expected to announce his stance on NATO membership on Thursday, May