After Russia Invaded Ukraine, NATO Initiated Membership Approval Processes for Sweden and Finland

According to reports, on July 5th, NATO officially started the ratification process allowing Sweden and Finland to join NATO after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.The move will increase the strategic isolation of Russia. These steps began shortly after the Ukrainian invasion in February and expanded due to military operations by Russia.

The 30 NATO allies signed the protocol of consent for Finland and Sweden to join today. Once the NATO parliament ratifies the decision, the two countries will join the nuclear-armed alliance.

Consent of the protocol means that Helsinki and Stockholm can participate in NATO meetings and have more access to intelligence. Until the applications of both countries are formally ratified, the defense provisions of NATO will not apply. The defense provisions state an attack on one ally is an attack on all allies. The ratification process may take up to a year.

After NATO member Turkey won concessions over its concerns and the U.S. pledged to provide its new fighter jets, the NATO coalition approved Finland and Sweden’s applications to join.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made this process more urgent, pushing the two countries into the Western military alliance. This gives NATO more influence, especially in the face of Moscow’s military threat.