New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters has said that Finland and Sweden joining NATO means these countries are abandoning the policy of neutrality they have long adhered to.
The full text of the statement is on the official website of the country's government.
“This is a manifestation of the recognition by two previously neutral states that collective security is now necessary to confront the current security threat,” the diplomat said.
Winston Peters also noted that NATO countries have seriously increased their defence spending and blamed Russia for this.
Finland officially became a NATO member on 4 April 2023, Sweden – on 7 March 2024.