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NATO

Turkey moves closer to ratification of Swedish Nato application

Turkey' foreign policy committee will vote on Thursday on whether to approve Sweden’s Nato application, it said in an update posted on its website, moving Sweden's membership one step closer to ratification.

Turkey moves closer to ratification of Swedish Nato application
Swedish defence minister Pål Jonson speaking to reporters in Brussels. Photo: Wiktor Nummelin/TT

“Obviously, we welcome this news,” Swedish defence minister Pål Jonson told reporters on Tuesday. “It is in line with the agreement we had with Turkey in July that ratification would occur as soon as possible. We need to become members as soon as we can.”

A source speaking to TT newswire said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would be in Berlin on Friday and was hoping to have positive news for German chancellor Olof Scholz.

If there are no delays to the process, the Turkish parliament could ratify Sweden’s application next week, on the 20th or 21st of November.

After parliament’s decision, Erdogan will have to formally approve ratification before the document can be sent to Washington.

Hungary and Turkey are the only Nato countries left which need to approve Sweden’s application, and Hungarian president Viktor Orbán has pledged previously that his country will not be the last to ratify.

If Turkey ratifies next week and Orbán keeps his promise, Swedish foreign minister Tobias Billström would be able to participate in Nato’s next meeting in Brussels on November 28th as a full member.

Hungarian minister Gergely Gulyás recently demanded that Sweden explain comments made by Swedish politicians about the state of Hungarian democracy, although the country has not formally said it will delay Sweden’s application further.

“We didn’t discuss it today, but the message has always been the same: that Hungary will not be the last country to ratify Sweden’s application,” Jonson said.

It is now a year and a half since Sweden applied for Nato membership.

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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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