German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Thursday he was confident that Sweden and Finland would succeed in joining the NATO defence alliance and that Germany was doing everything possible to make that happen.

At a news conference with his Dutch counterpart, Scholz reiterated that Germany welcomed the Nordic countries' bids and said he had the impression many other countries shared his view.

"If you identify a general will, then it is that Sweden and Finland should quickly become members so I am confident that the many efforts that are underway to enable a joint decision will be successful," Scholz said.