Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he is having with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) international counterparts on the potential expansion of NATO and how the UK can contribute to this.

The UK Government regularly engages with allies and international partners on NATO’s open door policy. This policy supports the right of any European state that shares the values of our alliance and are willing and able to assume the responsibilities and obligations of membership to join NATO. Finland and Sweden have now started this process and we hope to see them join the alliance at the soonest opportunity.

NATO’s expansion has been pivotal in spreading democracy, free speech and the rule of law across Europe. Each nation has the right to choose it’s own security arrangements. Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally changed European security and it is understandable that faced with this threat, countries may review their security arrangements, including considering applying to join the alliance and to benefit from it’s collective security guarantees. The alliance continues to work with aspirant countries to prepare them for eventual membership.