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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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SWEDEN AND GERMANY

What’s on the agenda for German chancellor’s visit to Sweden?

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in Sweden to discuss security and business competitiveness with his Nordic colleagues on a two-day visit.

What's on the agenda for German chancellor's visit to Sweden?

Scholz was to visit the Stockholm headquarters of telecommunications giant Ericsson on Monday, accompanied by the prime ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

They were to “discuss security policy issues such as hybrid threats, civil preparedness and new technologies,” the Swedish government said in a statement.

A press conference was to follow just before 6pm.

“At a dinner that evening, discussions will centre on continued support to Ukraine,” the government said, as Russian troops launched a major ground operation against Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region amid Kyiv’s struggles with Western aid delays.

The Nordic countries and Germany have been among Ukraine’s biggest donors since Russia’s February 2022 invasion.

Berlin is the world’s second biggest donor to Ukraine, giving 14.5 billion euros so far, according to the Kiel Institute.

“Security policy and the upcoming Nato summit will top the agenda,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote in a piece published in financial daily Dagens Industri on Monday.

“Financial competitiveness issues” will also be discussed, he said, noting that “the Nordic region wants to play a key role in efforts to strengthen the European economy”.

On Tuesday, Kristersson and Scholz were scheduled to hold bilateral talks and visit the Norrsken Foundation, which supports young growth companies active in the green and digital transition.

Afterwards the two leaders were to sign a “strategic innovation partnership” between Germany and Sweden.

The visit was to be their first bilateral meeting since Sweden joined Nato in March 2024.

The next Nato summit will take place July 9th-11th in Washington.

“Sweden has, and must have, a clear international voice in the world,” Kristersson wrote in Dagens Industri.

The Scandinavian country has enjoyed decades of strong cooperation with Nordic and Baltic countries, and with intensified collaboration “with two other Baltic Sea countries, Poland and Germany, our region will be safer and stronger”, he said.

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