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NATO

Turkish and Swedish leaders to meet for Nato talks

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet in Vilnius for Nato talks on Monday.

Turkish and Swedish leaders to meet for Nato talks
Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at a press conference in November 2022. Photo: Henrik Montgomery/TT

“What we are working to achieve is a positive decision at the summit where Turkey makes clear it is ready to ratify,” Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said after talks at Nato headquarters with foreign ministers from the two countries.

The meeting between Kristersson and Erdogan will be convened by Stoltenberg, he announced in a press conference after the foreign ministers of Sweden, Turkey and Finland met in Brussels on Thursday.

“We’re all in agreement that there has been good progress,” he added, repeating his stance that Sweden is ready to join the alliance. “All further delays will only benefit the PKK and Putin.”

The meeting on Monday will take place a day before Nato’s summit in Vilnius begins on July 11th. Sweden’s government has said previously that it is hopeful that Sweden will be able to join Nato at the summit, but it looks like this will not be possible.

“Naturally, a ratification in the Turkish parliament cannot take place until Monday,” Stoltenberg said, adding that having Sweden as a Nato member would strengthen the alliance.

“In April, we welcomed Finland into the Nato family. That has been a gamechanger for our security. Now, it’s time to welcome Sweden.”

Sweden has fulfilled its commitments under the trilateral memorandum which the three countries agreed on last summer, Stoltenberg believes, adding that he expects “continued progress” over the weekend.

All Nato countries bar Turkey and Hungary have approved Sweden’s Nato application.

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SWEDEN AND UKRAINE

Zelensky arrives in Stockholm for Ukraine-Nordic summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Stockholm to meet leaders from Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway.

Zelensky arrives in Stockholm for Ukraine-Nordic summit

Zelensky has been touring European capitals in recent days to appeal for more military aid for the Ukrainian army, which has been ceding ground to relentless Russian attacks in recent weeks.

“Today I am in Stockholm for the third Ukraine-Northern Europe summit,” Zelensky said in a statement on social media.

“Our top priorities are to ensure more air defence systems for Ukraine, joint defence industry projects, and weapons for our warriors, as well as global efforts to force Russia to make peace,” he added.

He said he would meet leaders from Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway and sign several bilateral security agreements.

“Ukraine will grow stronger as a result of the support of our principled and consistent allies, as well as new security agreements,” the Ukrainian leader said.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson meanwhile said that his country would take “important steps towards further strengthening cooperation between our countries in our support for Ukraine”.

“Ukraine’s cause is our cause,” he added in a statement on social media.

Zelensky’s arrival in Stockholm comes just days after Sweden pledged military aid of 13.3 billion kronor ($1.25 billion) to Ukraine.

And it comes as Ukrainian forces are struggling to hold back Russian attacks across the sprawling front line, after Moscow this month launched a fresh ground offensive in the eastern Kharkiv region.

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