NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg did not make it to the festive gala dinner in Madrid's royal palace on Tuesday evening.

But he had an excuse that everyone accepted.

Shortly before the formal start of the summit, NATO showed the unity King Felipe VI.

had sworn to when he welcomed the heads of state and government.

Hans Christian Roessler

Political correspondent for the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb based in Madrid.

  • Follow I follow

When Stoltenberg was the first to pull up in front of the exhibition center where the summit is being held on Wednesday morning, he didn't spare big words.

"The Allies are able to demonstrate unity," he said, clearly satisfied. It would be a "historic summit in the middle of the biggest security crisis since the Second World War."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson negotiated for more than three hours on Tuesday, accompanied by their foreign ministers.

NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg mediated.

Turkey gives up resistance

Finland and Sweden can join NATO.

Turkey gave up its resistance after the memorandum addressed all the conditions Ankara had placed on both governments.

"Putin is getting more NATO on his doorstep, exactly the opposite of what he wanted," said Stoltenberg in a first reaction.

Both countries have tightened their anti-terror legislation and will work even more closely with Turkey in the future.

For example, in the exchange of information, extradition and the fight against terrorism, he added on Wednesday.

The Swedish Prime Minister was initially unable to really explain the breakthrough.

"It's hard to say what made Turkey agree to the deal, but overall it's a good deal," Andersson said.

US President Joe Biden tweeted congratulations to Finland, Sweden and Turkey on signing the memorandum "which will strengthen our alliance and our collective security - and a great way to start the summit".

He wanted to speak to Turkish President Erdogan on Wednesday.

It will reportedly also involve the purchase of American F-16 fighter jets, which the United States has so far refused to deliver.

Possibly also on Wednesday, the Allies will formally invite Finland and Sweden to announce members of the alliance.

The accession process only started in May.

"It's unprecedentedly fast," said Stoltenberg. Ratification by the thirty parliaments of the member states always takes some time, but I expect that everything will go relatively quickly.

The alliance will soon have 32 members.

The agreement gave new impetus to the summit marathon that Chancellor Scholz and his European colleagues are currently completing after the EU meetings in Brussels and the G7 in Elmau.

On Wednesday, NATO will adopt its new strategic concept.

It will be the blueprint for the Alliance's political and operational action.

The new concept will reflect a "completely different world" than it existed in 2010;

The old concept dates back to , said Stoltenberg on Wednesday.

Now Russia is clearly classified as a “direct threat to our security”.

China is mentioned for the first time - "not as an opponent, but as a challenge".