NATO talks with Finland, Sweden waver but will continue | Business
By LORNE COOK – Associated Press
BRUSSELS (AP) – NATO envoys failed to reach an agreement on Wednesday on whether to open membership talks with Finland and Sweden, diplomats said, as Turkey renewed its objections to the two Nordic countries joining.
The envoys met at NATO headquarters in Brussels after Finland and Sweden’s ambassadors submitted written applications to join the military organization, in a move that marks one of the biggest geopolitical consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine – and which could write about Europe’s security map.
The diplomats, who did not want to be named because of the sensitive nature of the procedure, declined to say exactly who or what delayed the procedure. They pointed to messages from many of the 30 NATO allies who welcomed the requests of Finland and Sweden.
Lithuanian Ambassador Deividas Matulionis told Swedish and Finnish media that the envoys had exchanged views on their national security. “The discussion was about that, but it is up to Turkey to comment,” he said.
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NATO officials also refused to provide details. They underlined statements earlier Wednesday by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, that “we are determined to work through all issues and reach a quick conclusion.” Meetings and diplomatic contacts aimed at resolving the issue will continue.
But Turkey is the only ally that has clearly expressed its opposition. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insists that Finland and Sweden must show more respect for the Turks’ sensitivity to terrorism. He refuses to give in to what he says is their alleged support for Kurdish militants.
Erdogan accuses the two countries of turning a blind eye to activities by the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, despite the group being on the EU’s blacklist against terrorism.
“You will not hand over terrorists to us, but you will ask us to allow you to join NATO. NATO is a security unit. It is a security agency. Therefore, we can not say ‘yes’ to depriving this security organization of its security. , he said on Wednesday in a speech to the ruling party’s legislators.
The day started with a positive tone. Stoltenberg had said that the military alliance was ready to take a historic moment and move forward quickly to allow Finland and Sweden to join its ranks, after the two countries submitted their applications for membership.
The official applications set a security bell to tick. Russia, whose war against Ukraine urged them to join the military organization, has warned that it would not welcome such a move and could respond.
“I warmly welcome the wishes of Finland and Sweden to join NATO. You are our closest partners, said Stoltenberg. “All allies agree on the importance of NATO enlargement. We all agree that we must stand together, and we all agree that this is a historic moment that we must seize.”
“This is a good day at a critical moment for our security,” said a radiant Stoltenberg as he stood beside the two envoys, with NATO, Finnish and Swedish flags in the background.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that the alliance stop expanding towards Russia’s borders and several NATO allies, led by the United States and Britain, have signaled their readiness to provide security assistance to Finland and Sweden should the Kremlin try to provoke or destabilize them during it. time it takes to become full members.
Countries will only benefit from NATO’s Article 5 Security Guarantee – the part of the Alliance’s founding treaty that promises that every attack on a member would be considered an attack by all of them – once the ratification process for membership is completed, probably in a few months.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson welcomed their applications in a tweet, saying that “Putin’s terrible ambitions have changed the geopolitical contours of our continent.” Germany, Italy, the Baltic states and the Czech Republic all spoke positively about the candidates.
If Erdogan’s objections are overcome, and accession negotiations go as well as expected, the two can become members soon. The process usually takes eight to 12 months, but NATO wants to move quickly given the threat from Russia that hangs over the heads of the Nordic countries.
Public opinion in Finland and Sweden has changed sharply in favor of membership since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February.
Finland and Sweden work closely with NATO. They have functioning democracies, well-funded armed forces and contribute to the Alliance’s military operations and air policing.
Jari Tanner in Helsinki, Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen and Colleen Barry in Milan contributed to this report.
Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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