WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden praised the “momentous” applications of once-neutral Sweden and Finland to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Biden met with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinistö at the White House on Thursday for trilateral talks about the NATO mutual defence pact and other European security concerns.

The Biden administration has expressed confidence in the applications, which would be a major setback for Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
Both countries, according to Biden, “meet every NATO standard and then some.”

Putin has ordered that the alliance halt growing toward Russia’s borders.