Finland and Sweden have formally applied to join the NATO alliance. Representatives of the two countries have submitted applications at the alliance headquarters in Brussels.

The decision of the two Nordic states, which have been neutral, was prompted by security concerns over the unprovoked Russian occupation of Ukraine.

“I warmly welcome the requests of Finland and Sweden to join NATO. You are close partners “, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, after receiving official applications for membership from the ambassadors of the two Nordic countries.

Stoltenberg called the move a “historic day.”

The accession process is expected to take two weeks, while ratification in the parliaments of 30 member states takes up to a year, diplomats said.

Although the accession process is expected to take several weeks, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is opposing the membership of Sweden and Finland.

If Turkey’s concerns are overcome and membership talks begin, then the two countries can become members within months. The process usually takes eight to 12 months, but NATO wants to move quickly, given the threat posed by Russia to these two Nordic states.

Public opinion in Finland and Sweden massively supported membership after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.