WASHINGTON, 10 August 2022, (TON): President Joe Biden formally welcomed Finland and Sweden joining the NATO alliance as he signed the instruments of ratification that delivered the US’s formal backing of the Nordic nations entering the mutual defense pact, part of a reshaping of the European security posture after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Biden said at the signing as he called the partnership “in seeking to join NATO, Finland and Sweden are making a sacred commitment that an attack against one is an attack against all.”

The US became the 23rd ally to approve NATO membership for the two countries. Biden said “he spoke with the heads of both nations before signing the ratification and urged the remaining NATO members to finish their own ratification process as quickly as possible.”

The Senate last week approved the two, once-non-aligned nations joining the alliance in a rare 95-1 vote that Biden said shows the world that “the United States of America can still do big things” with a sense of political unity.