Joe Biden signs documents supporting Sweden and Finland's bid to join NATO

A week after Senate ratified the entrance of Nordic countries Finland and Sweden into North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), US President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed theinstruments of ratification, confirming the accession.

The expansion of NATO, the world's most powerful military alliance, comes in the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Biden said, "It was and is a watershed moment. I believe in the alliance and for the greater security and stability not only of Europe and the United States but of the world."

Taking a dig at Russian President Vladimir Putin, the US president, speaking from the East Room of the White House added, ″Putin thought he could break us apart. Our alliance is closer than ever, it is more united than ever and after Finland and Sweden join, we will be stronger than ever.”

Taking to Twitter, Biden reaffirmed his formal backing to the two Nordic countries. "Finland and Sweden will make NATO stronger. Today, I signed the U.S. Instruments of Ratification, making the United States the 23rd Ally to approve their membership in NATO," he tweeted.

After Biden's signature, Sweden and Finland need the other allies to sign theratification to complete the formal process. The accession will be complete only after all the 30 NATO allies have signed the form that the two countries will be protected under Article Five of NATO, where an attack on one ally is deemed an attack on all.

It is pertinent to note that both Nordic countries had sped up their process to join thenuclear-armed alliance after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, earlier this year.

Prior to the invasion,Putin had repeatedly warned that the expansion of NATO threatens Russia andcontravenesassurances given to it as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

(With inputs from agencies)

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