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Support grows for NATO expansion bid

Sweden and Finland are expected to decide by the middle of May whether to seek to join NATO, as polls show public opinion shifting toward membership.

A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress leads a formation of Polish, German and Swedish aircraft over the Baltic Sea
A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress leads a formation of Polish, German and Swedish aircraft over the Baltic Sea in 2016 (AN/Erin Babis)

WASHINGTON (AN) — Sweden and Finland are expected to decide by the middle of May whether to seek to join NATO. While both countries have long remained neutral, polls show public opinion shifting toward membership in the military alliance since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Formal entry into NATO would require a vote by all 30 members of the organization, a process that could take up to a year, but NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says he thinks membership for the two nations could come soon.

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