January 25, 2023
3 mins read

US says Sweden, Finland ready for NATO membership

Sweden and Finland have been jointly applying to join NATO, but Turkey has so far blocked the expansion…reports Asian Lite News

The United States said on the candidacies of Sweden and Finland for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) that the two Nordic countries are ready and should be added to the world’s strongest defence alliance at the earliest possible opportunity.

Addressing a press briefing on Tuesday, the US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said that the US has been very clear about its views on Finland and Sweden’s candidacies for NATO membership in public, as well as in private. “The issue of Sweden and Finland is not a bilateral issue. We have been very clear in public, and we have been very clear in private about our views on Finland and Sweden’s candidacies for NATO membership. We believe they are ready, we believe they should be added to the world’s strongest defence alliance at the earliest possible opportunity,” he said.

Responding to a media query on Finland and Sweden returning to functional dialogue on NATO membership, the US State Department Spokesperson said that the US will continue to voice its support for the candidature of the two Nordic countries.

“We can continue to voice our support for their candidacies. We can continue to engage in public and in private with Turkey and make it clear that we believe that these two countries are ready. That they are prepared, that they should be admitted to the alliance at any possible opportunity,” Price added.

United States State Department Spokesperson Ned Price. (File Photo: State Dept/IANS)

Sweden and Finland have been jointly applying to join NATO, but Turkey has so far blocked the expansion, citing concerns that Sweden needs to crack down on exiled Kurdish militants and their sympathizers and extradite critics of Turkish President Erdogan, reported Euronews.

The joint bid by Sweden and Finland to join NATO requires the approval of all existing members, including Turkey. Until now, the two countries have been committed to joining the alliance together.

Furthermore, the US State Department Spokesperson also spoke at length on the issue of the burning of the Quran in Stockholm, Sweden.

Describing the incident as reprehensible and disgusting, the US State Department Spokesperson said that no one in this administration is voicing any degree of support for this vile action that took place.

Calling Sweden a ‘vibrant democracy’, he further added, “The reason something like this could happen precisely because Sweden upholds freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and when you provide people with those freedoms, you safeguard those freedoms, sometimes they make terrible decisions. They do awful things.”

On Tuesday, the Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto indicated that Finland may have to join NATO without Sweden after Ankara cast doubts on the expansion of the alliance over anti-Turkey protests in Stockholm.

The joint bid by Sweden and Finland to join NATO requires the approval of all existing members, including Turkey. Until now, the two countries have been committed to joining the alliance together, but Haavisto’s comment suggests that this may no longer be the case.

The statement follows a recent Quran-burning protest in Stockholm, which resulted in Turkey ruling out support for Sweden’s bid to join the military alliance. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom has stated that “we are in contact with Finland to find out what is really meant.”

Notably, the Danish-Swedish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan set fire to a duplicate of the Muslim holy e-book on Saturday at the entrance of Turkey’s embassy within the Swedish capital, angering Ankara and Muslim international locations around the globe.

Haavisto mentioned the anti-Turkey protests had “clearly put a brake on the progress” of the purposes by Finland and Sweden to hitch the trans-Atlantic army alliance. (ANI)

ALSO READ: ‘India, Pak came close to N-conflagration’

Previous Story

Biden understands impact of layoffs on family: White House

Next Story

New NZ PM sets out priorities, ‘Bread-and-butter’ issues top list

Latest from -Top News

WAVES 2025: Jaishankar Advocates Cultural Pluralism

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar delivered a powerful address at the WAVES 2025 Global Media Dialogue, highlighting the significance of cultural pluralism in shaping global change. Speaking on the second day of

India Eyes Supply Chain Shift

India’s electronics manufacturing sector is undergoing a remarkable transformation, positioning the country as a major global hub for production and supply chain diversification. Riding on favourable government policies, geopolitical tailwinds, and a

Carney Confirms May 6 White House Visit

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Washington on May 6 for a high-stakes meeting with US President Donald Trump, just days after taking office following a contentious federal election. Speaking

Rubio Backs AfD, Slams Berlin

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has strongly criticised Germany for officially classifying the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as an extremist organisation, accusing the German government of undermining democracy under

India Bans All Pakistan Imports

In a sharp escalation of diplomatic hostilities, India has banned all direct and indirect imports from Pakistan with immediate effect, following the brutal terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region that
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Alleged leak of Ukraine war documents triggers US probe

Some of the copies of the allegedly leaked documents showed

Saudi to host US, Ukraine talks 

Trump hinted at a visit to Saudi Arabia in the