Biden supports an agreement that allows Finland, Sweden to join NATO – US official
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MADRID, June 28 (Reuters) – President Joe Biden supports an agreement that will allow Finland and Sweden to join NATO and play a role behind the scenes in the Nordic countries’ negotiations with Turkey, a senior US official said on Tuesday.
Turkey put down its opposition to Finland and Sweden joining NATO in time for the Alliance’s annual summit in Madrid. The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, said Biden spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about NATO earlier on Tuesday at the request of the two nations.
The official said the agreement would allow for an extension of the alliance by 30 members and mark “a significant change in the security position”.
Turkey did not insist that its demands for advanced US warplanes be included in the negotiations, the official said. Biden and Erdogan are expected to meet alongside the summit on Wednesday.
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Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Humeyra Pamuk in Madrid and Steve Holland in Washington
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