NATO: Finland Joins as Sweden’s Accession Faces Delay

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INSIGHTi

NATO: Finland Joins as Sweden’s Accession
Faces Delay

Updated April 7, 2023
On April 4, 2023, Finland acceded to NATO, enlarging the alliance to 31 members (see Figure 1). Amid
heightened security concerns about Russia after its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, both Finland and
Sweden applied to join NATO in May 2022
with the intention to accede to the alliance at the same time.
Sweden’s accession has been delayed by concerns raised by Turkey (Türkiye) and Hungary. The Biden
Administration
and many Members of Congress support NATO enlargement to both Finland and Sweden,
viewing the addition of these two mature democracies with advanced militaries as enhancing Euro-
Atlantic security
and serving U.S. interests.
Finland, Sweden, and NATO Enlargement
Finland’s and Sweden’s applications to NATO marked a historic shift for these traditionally militarily
nonaligned countries that for decades sought to balance political, economic, and cultural ties to the West
and relations with Russia. After the Cold War, Finland and Sweden joined the European Union (EU) and
established close partnerships with NATO. Both Finland and Sweden have participated in numerous
NATO operations and have capable militaries that are interoperable with NATO. Public support for NATO
accession—and the added security of NATO’s “Article 5” mutual defense clause—has skyrocketed in
both countries since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; as of mid- to late 2022, polls indicated support at 78%
in Finland
and 64% in Sweden.
U.S. officials from the Departments of State and Defense concur with Finnish and Swedish assertions that
the two countries would strengthen NATO’s defense posture, especially in the Baltic Sea region. Finland
spends roughly 2% of its GDP on defense (as called for by NATO) and plans to increase defense spending
in 2023;
Sweden intends to meet NATO’s 2% defense spending goal by 2026.
Some analysts have expressed concern about NATO’s ability to defend Finland’s 830-mile border with
Russia
(which doubles NATO’s overall borders with Russia). Finnish officials contend that Finland has
long defended its own borders and will continue to do so as a NATO member. Finland and Sweden also
have strong traditions of societal resilience and substantial experience dealing with Russian
disinformation efforts, cyberattacks, and hybrid threats. Russia has largely sought to downplay concerns
about Finnish and Swedish accession to NATO, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned NATO
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against deploying troops or expanding military infrastructure in either country. Following Finland’s
accession, Russian officials asserted they would closely watch NATO’s use of Finnish territory.
NATO’s Accession Process and Current Status
All NATO allies must approve admitting new members. Allied governments unanimously agreed to invite
Finland and Sweden to join NATO at the alliance’s June 2022 Madrid Summit, following a trilateral
agreement
concluded to address security concerns raised by Turkey and gain Turkey’s support for the
formal start of NATO’s accession process. In July 2022, allied governments signed protocols to NATO’s
founding North Atlantic Treaty that must be ratified by each ally (according to national procedures) to
allow Finland and Sweden to join the alliance.
Twenty-eight of NATO’s then-30 allies concluded the ratification process for both Finland and Sweden by
late September 2022.
Turkey, however, remained concerned about what it viewed as Swedish—and to a
lesser extent Finnish—support for terrorist groups, especially those linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(or PKK, a U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist organization). In mid-March 2023, Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey’s parliament would move to ratify Finland’s accession but not
Sweden’s yet. Turkey continues to press Sweden to grant Turkish extradition requests and take a harder
line
against pro-Kurdish groups. Reasons for Hungary’s delay in ratifying Finnish and Swedish accession
are more opaque but may be linked to EU and Swedish criticisms of the Hungarian government’s respect
for the rule of law. Hungary’s parliament approved Finland’s accession on March 27, but officials
announced that a vote on Sweden’s accession would be held “later.” Turkey’s parliament approved
Finland’s accession on March 30.
Swedish and NATO officials maintain that Sweden is fulfilling its obligations under the aforementioned
trilateral agreement and that Sweden’s accession is not a question of “whether” but “when.” Sweden’s
government hopes that a proposed new law against participating in or otherwise supporting terrorist
organizations will be finalized in June and will convince Turkey to proceed with ratifying Sweden’s
accession (movement by Turkey to approve Sweden’s membership could prompt Hungary to do
likewise). NATO leaders hope Sweden will be able to join the alliance by NATO’s July 11-12, 2023,
summit in Lithuania. Some experts suggest a long delay in finalizing Sweden’s accession could make the
alliance appear weak and divided and could complicate NATO defense planning.
Role of Congress and U.S. Policy
In the United States, once NATO members sign accession protocols, the Administration sends them to the
Senate for its advice and consent as part of the ratification process (See CRS Report 98-384, Senate
Consideration of Treaties
)
. President Biden submitted accession protocols for Finland and Sweden to the
Senate on July 11, 2022. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee subsequently reported favorably on the
resolution of ratification, and the full Senate approved it on August 3, 2022, by a vote of 95-1. President
Biden signed the accession protocols
for both Finland and Sweden on August 9, 2022, completing the
U.S. approval process. In the 117th Congress, the House passed a resolution of support for Finland and
Sweden’s NATO accession (H.Res. 1130). In February 2023, a group of 29 Senators sent a letter to
President Biden asserting that Turkey’s delay in approving Finnish and Swedish NATO accession
“threatens the Alliance’s unity at a key moment in history.”
The United States and NATO have enhanced security cooperation and conducted more joint training
exercises
with both Sweden and Finland over the past year, in part to provide reassurance during the
period before accession. The Biden Administration continues to urge Turkey and Hungary to ratify
Sweden’s membership “without delay.”




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Figure 1. NATO Members and Aspirants

Source: CRS Graphics. Map updated April 2023.





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Author Information

Kristin Archick
Andrew S. Bowen
Specialist in European Affairs
Analyst in Russian and European Affairs


Paul Belkin

Analyst in European Affairs



Disclaimer
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