The White House on Thursday welcomed deliberations by Finland and Sweden on potentially joining the NATO alliance, a development resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
“We obviously strongly support NATO's open-door policy and the right of each country to decide its own future foreign policy and security arrangements," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters, noting that both are valued defense partners of the United States.
"And we are confident we'll be able to work with them to address any concerns either country may have, but those are ongoing discussions," she said.
Both Sweden and Finland are expected to make a decision about whether to apply to join NATO this month.
Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said after a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday that she had received security assurances, but she did not give any details.
Sweden's defense minister said last month that an application could trigger a number of responses from Russia, including cyberattacks and hybrid measures - such as propaganda campaigns - to undermine Sweden's security.
