Stockholm (AFP) - The US Army Chief of Staff, General Mark Milley, affirmed on Saturday on board the USS Kearsarge in Stockholm port, the United States' determination to support Sweden and Finland before they join NATO.

The US military official spoke during a press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersen on the occasion of the "Paltops 22" maneuvers.

"It is important for us, the United States, as well as the rest of the alliance, to show our solidarity with Finland and Sweden through these exercises," General Milley said, referring to NATO's annual naval exercises in the Baltic Sea.

The exercises are scheduled to take place between 5 and 17 June, with the participation of 14 NATO member states, plus Sweden and Finland.

These maneuvers are particularly important this year with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which prompted Sweden and Finland to reconsider decades of non-alignment and apply for membership in NATO.

General Milley added that the presence in Stockholm of the USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship designed to station ground forces on enemy shores, "demonstrates the United States' commitment to the common cause, the international order and the idea that big nations cannot invade small countries unchecked."

As for Andersen, the imposing presence of the 250-meter-long helicopter carrier and its 1,200 marines in the center of the Swedish capital, "is both a tangible expression of US support and also a powerful political sign at a critical time."

"This shows that the security guarantees that President (US Joe) Biden spoke of when President (Sauli) Niinisto and I visited him at the White House were followed up with concrete measures," she added, referring to her recent visit to Washington with the Finnish president. "We are very grateful," she added.

Gen. Mark Milley met with sailors, airmen, and Marines from the USS Kearsarge, which is equipped with ten Osprey transport aircraft capable of taking off and landing vertically like a helicopter and flying like an airplane, six Harrier attack helicopters, and three MH-60 MH-60s. The marine version of the Black Hawk helicopters, and five landing craft.

In response to a question about the message sent by the presence of the American ship in the Baltic Sea, the Chief of Staff of the US Army indicated that the "Baltops 22" maneuvers aim specifically at "training in amphibious attacks and scenarios that may include attacking land invaded by a competitor or an enemy country."

He also indicated that the United States also intends to enhance its participation in other military exercises scheduled in the coming months.

Stockholm and Helsinki's candidacy for NATO membership is opposed by Turkey, which accuses the two countries of harboring "terrorists" from the PKK and its allies.

Both countries are seeking security guarantees before formal membership that would guarantee them unconditional support from allies under Article 5 of NATO's founding treaty, a process that could take months and could be prolonged by Ankara's opposition.
In the absence of a formal security guarantee, the two countries requested an increase in the US military presence in the Baltic Sea and northern Europe.