NATO: Sweden and Finland are very close to joining the alliance, says Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that he is convinced that NATO candidates Sweden and Finland will become members very soon. Blinken spoke at a joint press conference with his Swedish and Finnish counterparts in Washington DC.
The US Secretary of State thinks perspective is important when new members join the alliance, despite the fact that a couple of countries still oppose the joining of the two Nordic countries:
“All 30 allies signed the Accession Protocol, 28 of the 30 of course have ratified them. And we are working towards further ratifications. Turkey and Hungary. And I am convinced, based on everything I know, that we will soon be able to call both countries formally our allies.”
Turkey argues that Nato hopefuls have been too lax in ignoring threats against Turkey from Kurdish militants and other groups it considers terrorists.
But both Finland and Sweden say they have met Turkey’s demands. Last week, Sweden extradited Mahmut Tat, who is wanted by Ankara for membership in the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
Both European countries reconsidered and abandoned their traditional military non-alignment shortly after neighboring Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
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