Sweden is set to join NATO as the military alliance’s 32nd member following its acceptance by Turkey.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on July 10 that a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson resulted in an understanding being reached between the two nations.
Sweden initially requested membership in NATO alongside Finland in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. Any NATO member is allowed to veto the entry of any potential member, and for the past year, Turkey has rejected Sweden’s admission into the alliance.
Turkey previously vetoed the Nordic nation’s membership bid, saying Sweden provided safe haven to members of the Kurdistan Workers Party, which it considers to be a terrorist organization.
A joint statement issued by Turkey and Sweden on July 10 said that Sweden wouldn’t provide support to the Kurdish groups and would actively support efforts to help Turkey’s own accession into the European Union.
Mr. Erdogan’s apparent green light of Sweden’s accession brings an end to months of drama over an issue that had strained the bloc as war has raged in Ukraine.
“This has been a good day for Sweden,” Mr. Kristersson told reporters, saying the July 10 joint statement represented “a very big step” toward the final ratification of Sweden’s membership of NATO.
Mr. Stoltenberg said Mr. Erdogan had agreed to push ratification in parliament “as soon as possible” but didn’t give a specific date. It took about two weeks for Turkey’s parliament to ratify Finland’s membership.Mr. Stoltenberg noted that Sweden’s admission would mutually benefit both the nation and the alliance.
The trilateral meeting between Mr. Stoltenberg, Mr. Erdogan, and Mr. Kristersson occurs as defense ministers and other officials from all 31 NATO nations gather for a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
It also comes just five days after President Joe Biden welcomed Sweden’s Mr. Kristersson to the White House, where he voiced support for the Nordic country’s NATO membership ahead of the summit.
In a statement issued on July 10, Mr. Biden praised Turkey and Sweden’s agreement, which he said would enhance regional security.
“I welcome the statement issued by Turkey, Sweden, and the NATO Secretary General this evening,” he said in a statement.
“I stand ready to work with President Erdogan and Turkey on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area.”
The announcement is drawing widespread bipartisan support in the United States.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) described the move as “fantastic.” Similarly, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich) told The Epoch Times that it was “a very positive thing.”
Three more countries in addition to Sweden have stated their aspirations to join NATO. They’re Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Ukraine.
Ukraine formally applied to join the alliance last year but is unlikely to be admitted until its war with Russia ends. Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty establishes the principle of collective defense, which means that any attack on a NATO member shall be considered an attack against them all. As such, admitting Ukraine while it’s at war would be tantamount to a declaration of war on Russia.
To that end, Biden said Ukraine isn’t yet ready for NATO membership.
“I don’t think [Ukraine is] ready for membership,” Mr. Biden said during a July 9 interview with CNN. “I don’t think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war.
“I think it’s premature to say ... to call for a vote—there’s other qualifications that need to be met, including democratization and some of those issues.”
