Boris Johnson visits Sweden and Finland

Boris Johnson will visit Sweden and Finland to address the Ukraine conflict, as both countries decide whether to join the NATO alliance.

On Wednesday, the prime minister is set to meet with leaders from both nations during a 24-hour trip.

Mr. Johnson is likely to speak about Europe’s response to Russia’s military assault on Ukraine.

According to Mr. Johnson’s official spokesman, the tour is also about the “security of Europe more broadly.”

“We understand Sweden and Finland’s viewpoints, which is why the prime minister will debate these larger security problems,” he added.

Asked whether the two countries’ possible membership in the alliance would be discussed, the PM’s spokesman said: “We support democratic capabilities to decide on things like NATO membership.”

Mr. Johnson will have a press conference in each nation, beginning with Sweden, then moving on to Finland, and finally back to the UK.

NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a 30-nation defense alliance formed shortly after World War II’s end.

Its headquarters are in Brussels, but it is dominated by the United States’ immense military and nuclear missile capabilities.

Despite a long history of advocating military neutrality policies to prevent war with neighboring powers, support for NATO membership has surged in both Sweden and Finland since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Finland and Sweden are both modern, democratic countries that meet the membership requirements.

NATO’s secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, has stated that the alliance will welcome them with open arms and that their membership will be processed as quickly as possible.

During a visit to Sweden in April, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin stated that “everything had changed” since Russia invaded Ukraine, and that Finland must be “prepared for all types of Russian activities.”

Her remarks coincided with the release of a security analysis warning that joining NATO may lead to “greater tensions on the border between Finland and Russia.”

At the same time, Ms. Marin’s Swedish colleague, Magdalena Andersson, told reporters that the same “extremely serious analysis” was being conducted as in Finland and that she saw no need to delay it.

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