President Joe Biden on May 19 wholeheartedly backed the bids of Finland and Sweden for North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership, saying the two countries meet every requirement for joining the alliance.
“Sweden and Finland have strong democratic institutions, strong militaries, and strong and transparent economies, and a strong moral sense of what is right,” Biden said in prepared remarks in the White House’s Rose Garden.
Having two new members in northern Europe “will enhance the security of our alliance and deepen our security cooperation across the board,” he added.
Biden was speaking after meeting with Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson in Washington. He said both countries “have the full, total complete backing of the United States of America.” The White House was planning to submit on Thursday reports on NATO accession for the countries to the Senate so senators could quickly greenlight the bids, which were lodged this week….