Finland and Sweden join NATO - resistance also comes from Germany
Created: 05/18/2022, 12:03 p.m
By: Daniel Dillman
Sweden and Finland want to join NATO.
The federal government supports the application, but there are also critical voices.
The news ticker.
Finland and Sweden want to join:
Both countries officially apply for membership in NATO.
Resistance to NATO expansion:
In addition to Turkey, there is also criticism of the defense alliance's course in Germany.
Accession timetable:
Five steps are necessary before a country can join NATO.
Berlin - The NATO northern expansion is taking on concrete features.
The governments of Finland and Sweden have now officially applied for membership in the defense alliance.
The Baltic states are in favour, as are Great Britain and the USA.
On behalf of the federal government, Olaf Scholz (SPD) reaffirms German support for the accession of the two Scandinavian countries.
But there is also criticism of NATO's course.
It mainly comes from Turkey.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced his veto against Sweden and Finland joining NATO.
Both countries would harbor terrorists, thereby jeopardizing the security of the alliance.
It remains to be seen whether Erdogan is serious about his refusal or whether he just wants to win bargaining chips, which will then result in concessions for Turkey.
However, the Turkish ruler is not the only critical voice in the matter of NATO expansion.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (centre) accepts applications for membership from Sweden and Finland.
© Heta Hassinen/dpa
Anti-NATO Congress in Berlin: "Putin understanders and twisters of facts"
A group from Germany is fundamentally opposed to the alliance.
As the editorial network Germany (RND) reports, an “anti-NATO congress” will take place in Berlin this Saturday (May 21).
The event is officially called "Living without NATO - Ideas for Peace".
In the invitation, from which the RND quotes, Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is condemned, but not only Russian President Vladimir Putin is held responsible.
The West has also contributed to the escalation of the Ukraine conflict.
The list of participants in the congress reads "like a who's who of Putin understanders and twisted facts," said the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag to the RND.
In addition to representatives of the Left Party, there are also a few Greens at the start, as well as well-known names such as Oskar Lafontaine.
The leaders of the SPD, Greens and Left all distanced themselves from Congress.
Joining NATO: five steps to membership
So while in Berlin people are railing against Finland and Sweden joining NATO, negotiations are already underway in Brussels.
A total of five steps are necessary before the inclusion of further countries can be completed.
1. Representatives of the NATO countries meet in Brussels and discuss whether a candidate meets the political, military and legal requirements.
2. The candidate sends a formal application for membership to NATO.
3. NATO prepares the admission protocols for the respective country.
4. All NATO countries must sign the admission protocols.
5. If all NATO states agree to the admission, the NATO Secretary General informs the candidate about his admission to the defense alliance.
(Daniel Dillman)
