Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is convinced Finland and Sweden will join NATO in the future despite current obstacles.
Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Sanchez said "if it's not now, it will be later, but eventually they will join the Atlantic alliance."
Sanchez was speaking at the start of a three-day summit of NATO leaders in Madrid with talks set to take place with Turkey to overcome Ankara's veto of Finland and Sweden's entry.
The summit in Madrid will also give "a message of unity" of "democracies coming together to defend democracy," Sanchez said.