On Friday (July 22) in Gdynia, President Andrzej Duda signed bills into law, which ratify Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO. "The border between the North-Atlantic Alliance and Russia has been largely increased, by approx. 1,600 kilometres. Is that what Vladimir Putin wanted?" - Duda said. "Russia had expected its attack on Ukraine would divide NATO, cause uncertainty, and weaken the Alliance. It turned out completely the opposite way," the president added.
On July 7, Poland's lower house of parliament - the Sejm - passed two bills: one on ratification of the Protocol to the North-Atlantic Treaty regarding Sweden's accession to NATO, and a corresponding one regarding Finland. The upper house - the Senate - approved the bills on Wednesday, July 20.
On Friday (July 22), president Andrzej Duda signed the two bills into law. The signing ceremony was held in Gdynia, on board of ORP Generał Tadeusz Kościuszko - one of two Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigates in the Polish Navy.
"These two very important and great countries in our part of the world, which the bills I've just signed pertain to - Finland and Sweden - for many decades, and in the case of Sweden even centuries, have remained a de facto neutral states. Both in Sweden and Finland there was no certainty whether those countries should become part of the great security community, which the North-Atlantic Alliance is. There was no certainty among the people," Duda said.
He added that "the Russian aggression, its abruptness, fierceness and dramatic cruelty previously seen in the times of the Second World War, have decisevely changed this view".
Duda thanked the Sejm and the Senate for swift passing of the bills. "For many reasons it is a very important moment for us, because two powerful Baltic Sea states - the last countries which were not part of the North-Atlantic Alliance apart from Russia, have joined the Alliance. In fact, right now around the Baltic Sea we have NATO countries and Russia. This largely increases our safety as part of the North-Atlantic Alliance," he said.
"The border between the North-Atlantic Alliance and Russia has been largely increased, by approx. 1,600 kilometres. Is that what Vladimir Putin wanted?" - president Duda asked. "Russia had expected its attack on Ukraine would divide NATO, cause uncertainty, and weaken the Alliance. It turned out completely the opposite way, the Alliance displayed unity from the very beginning. The Alliance supports Ukraine not only morally, but also militarily," he added.
The president also argued that "NATO is getting stronger through actual carrying out of the open doors policy and through the accession of further strong countries to NATO".
Once the two pieces of legislation have come into force, the president will also ratify the Protocol to the North-Atlantic Treaty regarding accession of new member to the Alliance.
Sweden and Finland closer to NATO
In reaction to Russian invasion into Ukraine, Sweden and Finland filed official requests in mid-May to join NATO. In early-July, NATO member states ambassadors signed Finland and Sweden's accession protocols. The official ceremony was attended by Finnish and Swedish foreign ministers - Pekki Haavisto and Ann Linde.
Currently, both Sweden and Finland have NATO "invitee" status and can participate in the Allied meetings, but without the right to vote. At the same time, NATO member states are in the process of ratifying the accession protocols.
In order for the new countries could join NATO, currently composed of 30 states, each member of the Alliance must approve the decision.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: TVN24