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Sunday, 15 May 2022 (YJC)_ On the second day of talks with his NATO counterparts, the German foreign minister said that Berlin had prepared everything for the process of the rapid accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO.
German Foreign Minister Annalna Bayerbock said today (Sunday):
If Finland and Sweden decide to apply for NATO membership, Germany has made all the preparations for the speedy ratification process, while stressing the need for security guarantees for both countries.
On the second day of talks with his NATO counterparts, he told reporters in Berlin that Germany had prepared everything for a speedy ratification process. The German foreign minister added that NATO foreign ministers agreed on Saturday evening that there should be no gray area between the time of their request and the time of their accession to NATO.
The head of the German diplomatic service said:
If they decide to join, they can join quickly ... We have to make sure that we give them security guarantees, there should not be a transition period, a gray area where their status is unclear.
He was referring to the ratification period, which could take up to a year, during which the two Nordic countries are still not protected by NATO Article 5, which guarantees that attacking an ally is an attack on all.
Finland's plan to apply for NATO membership, announced on Thursday, as well as a similar expectation from Sweden, will expand the Western military alliance that Russia intends to block.
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