“It will happen,” says the US president, underlining the transatlantic alliance’s commitment to supporting Ukraine.
Washington, D.C. – US President Joe Biden has said he is confident Sweden will join NATO “as soon as possible”, despite Turkey and Hungary continuing to block the northern European country’s entry into the alliance.
Speaking at a US Air Force Academy graduation ceremony on Thursday, Biden praised NATO’s unity amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“NATO is more energetic and more united than it has been in decades. It’s even stronger now with our newest ally, Finland – and soon Sweden – joining the alliance as soon as possible. It will happen. I promise you,” the US president said.
His remarks come just days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Turkey to approve Sweden’s bid to join NATO.
“From the perspective of the United States, it is now time to finalize Sweden’s accession,” Blinken told reporters in the northern Swedish city of Lulea on Tuesday.
The top US diplomat also expressed hope that the process would be completed before a NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius in July.
NATO countries must ratify new members. The US-led bloc has a collective defense pact – known as Article 5 – which stipulates that an attack on one NATO member state is an attack on the entire alliance.
Sweden and neighboring Finland began seeking NATO membership last year after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Finland officially joined the alliance in April, but Sweden’s application is still pending.
Hungary and Turkey have yet to approve Sweden’s entry, but Ankara is seen as the main obstacle. Turkey has accused Sweden of providing a safe haven for members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which it considers a “terrorist” group.
Sweden says it is addressing Turkey’s concerns in accordance with a trilateral memorandum signed by the two countries and Finland last year.
On Thursday, as NATO member states’ foreign ministers held talks in Norway, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted to his Swedish counterpart: “Comply with your obligations under the Trilateral Memorandum and take concrete steps in the fight against terrorism. The rest follows.”
Biden said earlier this week that he raised the issue in a phone call with newly re-elected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“I congratulated Erdogan. He wants to do something about the F-16s. I told him we wanted a deal with Sweden, so let’s get that done,” Biden told reporters Monday, referring to Ankara’s attempt to finalize a $20 billion deal for US-made F -16 fighter jets.
Biden did not mention Turkey when he brought forward Sweden’s bid for NATO on Thursday. But he stressed that the alliance remains steadfast in response to the invasion of Ukraine, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin thought NATO would “crack”.
The US president also renewed his commitment to support Ukraine against the invasion. Washington has provided Kiev with billions of dollars in humanitarian and military aid since the start of the war last year.
“The United States has called the world together to stand strong against Ukraine and defend the values so dear to the American people — freedom, sovereignty, democracy, simple dignity,” Biden said.
“The support of the American people for Ukraine will not waver.”
A crystal clear message to our Swedish Friends!
Fulfill your obligations under the Trilateral Memorandum and take concrete steps in the fight against terrorism.
The rest will follow. https://t.co/PS1gpSMyA0
— Mevlut Çavuşoğlu (@MevlutCavusoglu) June 1, 2023