OREANDA-NEWS. Germany will support Sweden and Finland if they decide to join NATO, said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He noted that Berlin is closely following the discussion on the entry of these countries into the Alliance, TASS reports.

It is clear to us that if these two countries decide that they want to be part of NATO, then they can count on our support.

Scholz emphasized that the decision on the membership of Sweden and Finland in NATO should be made only by their citizens. He also added that Germany considers these countries to be its partners, regardless of their membership in the Alliance.

The discussion about Finland's and Sweden's accession to NATO intensified in early April. It is assumed that they can become members of the Alliance in the summer. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the process of their adoption will be fast.

The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that Brussels, under pressure from the United States, has long been drawing Sweden and Finland into the Alliance, and warned these countries about the consequences of such a step. Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, in turn, said that Russia will increase the number of officially registered opponents. In his opinion, with the expansion of NATO at the expense of Sweden and Finland, the non-nuclear status of the Baltic Sea can no longer be discussed.