Canada became the first country to officially ratify Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO in an accelerated process completed shortly after member nations signed off on the nuclear-armed alliance’s expansion on Tuesday.
The NATO defense clause states that an attack against one member is an attack against all. In order for the Nordic countries to receive this protection from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the accession protocol needs to be ratified by the parliaments of all 30 NATO members.
Canada’s swift response comes as members of Canada’s House of Commons had unanimously expressed their support for Finland and Sweden in a vote earlier in June before the chamber closed for a summer break.
“We wanted to be the first country to ratify,” Foreign Minister Melanie Joly’s spokesman said.
The signing of the protocol still allows Finland and Sweden to participate in NATO meetings and have access to intelligence until formal ratification.
“Canada has full confidence in Finland and Sweden’s ability to integrate quickly and effectively into NATO and contribute to the alliance’s collective defense,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement.
Trudeau is urging other allies to move quickly to finalize their own ratification processes.
“This brings the two countries a step closer to full membership,” he said in a statement. “Their membership will make NATO stronger.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg declined last week to offer a precise timeline on when the countries will officially join the group.
“We call on all NATO members to move swiftly to complete their ratification processes to limit opportunities for interference by adversaries,” Trudeau’s statement said Tuesday.
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