Blinken sure about Finland’s, Sweden’s accession to NATO
WASHINGTON (AP) – Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that the United States is confident that Finland and Sweden will soon be approved for membership in NATO despite delays in ratification in allies Turkey and Hungary.
After meeting his Finnish and Swedish counterparts on Thursday, Blinken said both countries had proven their good credentials to join the alliance, particularly by joining NATO to provide support to Ukraine to counter Russia’s invasion.
Almost all of NATO’s 30 members have already approved Finland and Sweden’s applications to join the alliance, which were made after Russia launched its war in Ukraine. Turkey and Hungary are the only two that have not yet ratified the accession of Finland and Sweden.
“Both countries have taken significant, concrete steps to meet their commitments, including those related to security concerns on the part of our ally Turkey,” Blinken said. “As their membership process continues, the United States is fully committed to Finland and Sweden’s accession.”
But Blinken said he believed Turkey’s concerns, particularly with Sweden over its past support for Kurdish groups that Ankara sees as a threat, would be overcome in the near future. Sweden this week extradited a convicted member of the Kurdish militant group PKK to Turkey. Hungary’s parliament is expected to vote on NATO expansion early next year.
“I am convinced that NATO will formally welcome Finland and Sweden as members soon,” he told reporters at a joint press conference at the Foreign Ministry with Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström and Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto.
Blinken took the opportunity to say that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to go to war with Ukraine had backfired if he really intended to push back on NATO expansion.
“As Sweden and Finland prepare to join NATO, we know he has failed to weaken our alliance,” he said. “He has actually only made NATO stronger and bigger.”
Haavisto said discussions with Turkey on the PKK have gone well so far, although there was still no date for the Turkish parliament to consider the expansion.
“Obviously, our hope is that this decision comes from Turkey sooner rather than later,” he said.
Billström said he would soon travel to Turkey to continue talks on the issue. “I hope the outcome of that discussion will also move us forward,” he said.