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NATO

World leaders urge Turkey and Hungary to let Sweden join Nato

Leaders from the US, the UK and Germany celebrated Finland officially joining the Nato alliance on Tuesday, while urging holdouts Turkey and Hungary to accept Sweden into the alliance.

World leaders urge Turkey and Hungary to let Sweden join Nato
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, speaking with Sweden's Foreign Minister Tobias Billström at a Nato meeting in November. In the background is Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg. Photo: AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken marked Finland’s arrival in the Nato alliance on Tuesday with an appeal to Hungary and Turkey to drop their objections to Sweden following suit.

“Sweden is also a strong and capable partner that is ready to join Nato,” Blinken said.

“We encourage Turkey and Hungary to ratify the accession protocols for Sweden without delay so we can welcome Sweden into the alliance as soon as possible.”

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hailed Finland’s “historic” accession to Nato.

Finland’s formal accession as the 31st member of Nato “has made our Alliance stronger and every one of us safer”, Sunak said.

“All Nato members now need to take the steps necessary to admit Sweden too, so we can stand together as one Alliance to defend freedom in Europe and across the world.”

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, attending the Nato meeting in Brussels where Finland acceded, announced another £12 million ($16 million) in “non-lethal” military aid to Ukraine such as medical equipment and rations.

“Russia thought its aggression would divide us. Instead, we are bound tighter together, resolute in our defence of the principles of freedom and the rule of law,” Cleverly said.

“Let us be clear that our door remains open. We will welcome further allies with open arms and we continue to push for Sweden’s swift accession.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Finland’s accession to Nato was “good news and a win for transatlantic security”.

“Sweden’s still pending accession has our full support,” he added.

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NATO

NATO chief to Erdogan: Sweden ‘has fulfilled obligations’ for membership

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday called on Ankara to drop its opposition to Sweden's bid to join the defence alliance, saying Stockholm has addressed Turkey's security concerns.

NATO chief to Erdogan: Sweden 'has fulfilled obligations' for membership

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday called on Ankara to drop its opposition to Sweden’s bid to join the defence alliance, saying Stockholm has addressed Turkey’s security concerns.

“Sweden has taken significant concrete steps to meet Turkey’s concerns,” Stoltenberg told reporters after meeting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “Sweden has fulfilled its obligations.”

Stoltenberg attended on Saturday the inauguration of Erdogan, who was re-elected to serve another five years, in a lavish ceremony joined by dozens of world leaders in the capital Ankara.

NATO member Turkey has dragged its feet over admitting Sweden to the military alliance. It and Hungary are the only two member countries yet to ratify the membership bid.

Finland formally joined the alliance in April.

Erdogan has accused Sweden of being a haven for “terrorists”, especially members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group blacklisted by Turkey and its Western allies.

READ ALSO: Nato chief to travel to Ankara to push for Sweden’s Nato membership

Turkey and Sweden will hold another meeting on Sweden’s NATO application in mid-June, Stoltenberg also announced. “We have agreed that the parties will meet again during the week that begins on June 12th,” the NATO chief said.

When asked if he believes that Sweden will be included as a full NATO member at the alliance’s next summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on July 11th and 12th, Stoltenberg replied that “there is still time to make it happen.”

Earlier on Sunday, a demonstration against Swedish entry into NATO was held in Stockholm where PKK flags were flown. 

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