Finland, Sweden Evaluating NATO Membership With Free One-Day Guest Pass

BRUSSELS—Testing the waters before committing to a more permanent status within the group, Finland and Sweden confirmed Thursday they were evaluating their possible membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization with a complimentary one-day guest pass. “It’s nice to get a taste of what it’s like to have the full military backing of the Western Alliance, even if it’s just for a day,” said Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin, who, along with Swedish prime minister Magdalena Andersson, expressed appreciation for the opportunity to experience NATO’s mutual-assistance treaty before making a commitment to devote 2% of her nation’s gross domestic product to military expenditures. “The day pass is only good for one session with a personal military trainer, which kind of sucks. But NATO is committed to repelling any invasion that occurs during the 24-hour trial period, so that’s cool. I’d probably feel a bit self-conscious being in a collective defense pact with all these big, strong military powers, but if Iceland and Luxembourg aren’t intimidated, I guess we shouldn’t be, either.” At press time, Marin and Andersson both reported feeling insecure about having to walk around NATO headquarters with large stickers on their shirts that said “Guest.”