Finland and Sweden may soon join NATO. NATO officials told CNN that discussions about Sweden and Finland joining the bloc have become extremely serious since the Ukraine crisis escalated.

Senior US State Department officials said the issue was raised at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers this week, which was attended by foreign ministers from Stockholm and Helsinki.

The discussions underscore the extent to which the crisis has served to revitalize and unify NATO, officials said.

Public opinion in both countries about joining a defensive alliance has changed significantly as the war in Ukraine continues.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said her country's parliament intends to discuss possible NATO membership in the coming weeks, adding that she hopes these discussions will be completed by mid-summer.

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson did not rule out the possibility of membership in an interview with SVT at the end of March.

Sweden is conducting a security policy review due to be completed by the end of May, and the government is expected to announce its position thereafter, a Swedish official told CNN. Sweden may make its position public sooner, depending on when neighboring Finland does.

Finnish Ambassador to the US Mikko Hautala told CNN that the two countries are cooperating closely with each other, but each country will make its own independent decision.