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US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin congratulated Finland on becoming the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on the 74th anniversary of the alliance.

Austin added that he looks "forward to seeing Sweden join the Alliance as soon as possible."

The US Secretary of Defense revealed that he intends to visit Sweden later this month to discuss the Scandinavian country’s accession to NATO.

Touching on the US-led military alliance's expansion, Austin claimed that "Putin’s war is not the result of NATO enlargement—it is the cause of NATO enlargement."

He reaffirmed the US support for Ukraine saying, "The United States is determined to stand with Ukraine’s brave defenders for as long as it takes."

Austin also pointed to NATO’s supposed role of "upholding the rules-based international order," claiming that the US and its allies will continue "supporting sources of freedom" across the world.

Historically, NATO members have been noncompliant with the rules and regulations that make up the current international order. For instance, the NATO-led bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 is one of many incidents in which NATO members disregarded international law to claim their interests.

Finland’s accession into NATO comes after a year-long refusal by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey demanded that Finland complete a set of demands including full cooperation in Ankara’s fight against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the abandonment of arms embargo agreements that affect Turkey.

One request vs. a long list of conditions
While #Turkey had a long list of conditions from #Finland and #Sweden, all the two Nordic states wanted was to join #NATO.
Here's your guide to understanding on what basis the agreement was made. pic.twitter.com/Aw7Jtu7frp

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) June 28, 2022

Erdogan made similar demands to Sweden, who failed to complete any of them. Ankara remains the biggest obstacle in the face of Sweden’s accession to NATO.