US approves Sweden, Finland NATO bid as Turkey warns of conditions
Turkey's President Erdogan warned again this week that his government would block the two Nordic countries' bid to join NATO unless they take action against Kurdish leftist groups.
US President Joe Biden signed Washington’s approval for Sweden and Finland to join the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) on Tuesday, describing it as a “watershed moment” for European and global stability.
“Together, we commit that the United States, Finland and Sweden will continue to remain vigilant against any threats to our shared security, and deter any confrontation and confront any aggression or threat of aggression,” Biden said.
The context: Sweden and Finland broke decades of neutrality in a bid to join the Western alliance following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
If approved, the move would nearly double NATO’s shared border with Russia, a prospect to which President Vladimir Putin has offered very limited public objection.
