US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that Finland and Sweden are ready to join the North Atlantic Alliance, which Turkey is still opposed to. Blinken said this at a press conference on Thursday following a meeting with the heads of foreign affairs of Sweden and Finland, Tobias Bilström and Pekka Haavisto.

 "Finland and Sweden are ready to be members of the Alliance. Their troops served together with US and NATO troops in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya. Both are members of NATO's Partnership for Peace and Enhanced Partnerships programs. Simply put, their the army interacts almost seamlessly with the forces of the Alliance," he noted.

 Blinken also emphasized that Finland and Sweden share common values ​​with NATO - unwavering commitment to democracy, international order based on rules, respect for human rights and human dignity.

 "I expect that NATO will soon accept Finland and Sweden. Since the NATO summit in Madrid, both countries have taken concrete measures to fulfill their commitments, including regarding the security concerns of our ally Turkey," - believes the US Secretary of State.