Nato is set to significantly increase in size and strength after Turkey dropped its veto to Finland and Sweden joining the alliance late on Tuesday.
After two hours of talks with the leaders of the Nordic countries, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to allow the applications to go ahead, meaning the countries will be fast-tracked into the 30-nation alliance.
Both countries bring formidable military power and Finland’s 1,300-kilometre border with Russia means that Moscow will have a border with Nato stretching from the Arctic to the Mediterranean Sea.
“I am pleased to announce that we now have an agreement that paves the way for Finland and Sweden to join Nato,” Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during a press conference.
“Turkey, Finland and Sweden have signed a memorandum that addresses Turkey's concerns, including around arms exports, the fight against terrorism and extradition.”
Mr Stoltenberg said the admission of the two countries would chart a blueprint for the alliance “in a more dangerous and unpredictable world”, changing regional security and strengthening Nato's presence in Europe.
“The two members will bring to Nato advanced and well developed forces, advanced weapons system technology and stable political institutions, they will strengthen Nato and Finland and Sweden,” Mr Stoltenberg said.
The countries' three foreign ministers signed a trilateral memorandum on Tuesday confirming that Turkey would support the bids of Finland and Sweden to become Nato members.
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US President Joe Biden speaks at a news conference on the final day of the Nato summit in Madrid. AP -
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds a news conference. PA -
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. AFP -
French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during the final day of the Nato summit. AP -
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Joe Biden shake hands as Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson look on at a Nato summit in Madrid. Reuters -
Heads of state of Nato member countries and their spouses pose for a group photo during a visit to the Prado Museum, in Madrid. AFP -
French president Emmanuel Macron, right, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during the Prado Museum visit. AP -
Mr Biden takes a selfie with Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela and his wife Lydia Abela as they visit the Prado Museum. AP -
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the first lady of France, Brigitte Macron, right, and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo's wife Annik Penders have a conversation at the museum. AP -
Spanish police stand in front of protesters during an anti-Nato demonstration near Tirso de Molina square in Madrid. AFP -
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appears on a giant screen as he delivers a statement at the start of the first plenary session of the Nato summit. AFP -
World leaders pose for a photo during the summit. Reuters -
US President Joe Biden, left, and Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. AP -
Maria Begona Gomez, wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, the first Lady of Lithuania, Diana Nausediene, first lady of Malta, Lydia Abela, and Gauthier Destenay, the husband of Luxembourg's Prime Minister, before a visit to the royal site of San Idelfonso in Segovia. EPA -
Turkey’s objection to Finland and Sweden's membership had threatened to overshadow the summit that is seeking unity as Russia wages war in Ukraine. AP -
King Felipe VI of Spain addresses leaders during a dinner at the Royal Palace in Madrid. Reuters -
Mr Johnson meets Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. PA -
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attend a reception at the Royal Palace in Madrid. AP -
Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia greet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, during a royal reception for heads of governments and states. EPA -
King Felipe VI, left, Mr Sanchez, second left and Mr Macron before the dinner. AP -
Nato leaders pose for a 'family photo' with King Felipe and Queen Letizia in Madrid. Reuters -
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, left, with Mr Biden and Mr Macron. EPA -
Mr Biden, left, and King Felipe arrive for a meeting at the Royal Palace in Madrid. Reuters -
Mr Johnson talks to journalists on his plane during a flight from Germany – where he was attending the G7 summit – to the Nato summit in the Spanish capital. PA -
Mr Erdogan, second left, meets Mr Stoltenberg, Mr Niinisto of Finland and Ms Andersson of Sweden before the summit. Reuters -
Mr Biden shakes hands with Prime Minister Sanchez of Spain at the Palace of Moncloa, in Madrid. AFP -
Mr Erdogan, centre, arrives at the Torreon air base in Madrid. AP -
Mr Sanchez, right, speaks with Mr Stoltenberg before the summit. EPA -
US first lady Jill Biden, centre left, and Spain's Queen Letizia speak with a family during a visit to a reception centre for Ukrainian refugees in Madrid. AP -
Spanish police patrol outside the Ifema convention centre before the Nato summit in Madrid. EPA -
Mr Sanchez and his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern hold the jerseys of their national football teams during a meeting at Moncloa Palace. EPA -
Finland's President Niinisto speaks during a briefing in Madrid before the Nato summit. Reuters -
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media after arriving at Torrejon Airbase in Madrid. EPA -
Spanish police officers control traffic on the Spain-France border in Irun. Reuters -
Mr Stoltenberg speaks at a press conference to preview the Nato summit at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. AFP -
Spanish police use sniffer dogs to check a podium at the Ifema centre in Madrid. EPA -
US first lady Jill Biden waves on arrival at Torrejon air base in Madrid. Reuters
“The concrete steps of our accession to Nato will be agreed by the Nato allies during the next two days, but that decision is now imminent,” said Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in a statement.
Turkey’s objection to Finland and Sweden's membership had threatened to overshadow the summit that is seeking unity as Russia wages war in Ukraine.
Ankara’s main concern had been over Finland and Sweden’s tolerance of the PKK, a Kurdish nationalist organisation widely described as a terror group.
It now appears that both Nordic countries have given reassurances and guarantees to address the PKK issue.
“Over the past weeks, Turkey has raised its concerns over the threat of terrorism,” Mr Niinisto said. “Finland has constantly taken these concerns seriously. Finland condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. As a Nato member, Finland will commit fully to the counterterrorism documents and policies of Nato.”
He added that his country now looked forward to “fruitful conversations on Finland’s role in Nato with our future allies here in Madrid”.
The Finnish military is regarded as well trained and is able to call up to 240,000 soldiers on to a war-footing in a short period. Its navy in the Baltic Sea is also being reinforced with new frigates and it has signed a deal to buy 64 US F-35 stealth fighter jets. Turkey is understood to be in discussions with US President Joe Biden over the purchase of 40 F-16 fighters.
In joining Nato, Finland and Sweden join fellow Nordic countries Norway and Denmark.
"I congratulate Turkey, Finland and Sweden on signing a trilateral memorandum, which paves the way for allies to invite Finland and Sweden to join Nato at the Madrid summit," US President Joe Biden said in a statement.
