President Biden Meets with Swedish Prime Minister as Sweden Seeks NATO Membership
President Biden met with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Wednesday to express support for Sweden’s bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The meeting took place ahead of the high-profile NATO summit in Lithuania next week.
Sweden’s attempt to join the alliance has been hindered by objections from Turkey and Hungary. However, President Biden made it clear that the United States fully supports Sweden’s membership in NATO, stating that Sweden will make the alliance stronger.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Kristersson emphasized that Sweden and the United States share priorities, particularly in supporting Ukraine’s defense against Russia. He expressed his appreciation for the U.S. support for Sweden’s NATO bid and highlighted Sweden’s potential contributions to the alliance.
Both Sweden and Finland, two historically neutral nations, announced their intention to seek NATO membership in May 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, only Finland has been accepted so far, largely due to Turkey’s opposition to Sweden. All NATO members must approve the addition of a new country.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has used the bids from Sweden and Finland to challenge Sweden for granting asylum to members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey considers a terrorist group. Protests against Erdogan in Sweden have further strained relations between the two countries.
At last year’s NATO summit, Turkey agreed to support both Sweden and Finland’s bids under certain conditions. While Finland has met those conditions and joined NATO in April 2022, Turkey has raised ongoing concerns about Sweden’s actions regarding the PKK.
President Erdogan stated that Sweden still has work to do before it can join the alliance. The impasse between Turkey and Sweden may not be resolved before the upcoming NATO summit.
President Biden’s meeting with Prime Minister Kristersson sends a significant signal to Turkey that the United States stands by Sweden. However, the impact of this meeting on the timeline and trajectory of Sweden’s NATO membership remains uncertain.
Hungary, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has also delayed a vote on Sweden’s membership bid. Orban has accused Swedish leaders of lying about Hungary’s democracy and made additional demands of Sweden.
Resolving the impasse over Sweden’s NATO membership is vital for President Biden and for NATO as a whole. The president has cited Finland and Sweden’s decision to join NATO as evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin miscalculated when he launched his aggression in Ukraine.
The Biden administration remains confident that Sweden will be admitted to NATO and has urged Turkey and Hungary to approve Sweden’s application as soon as possible. Sweden has fulfilled the commitments agreed upon last year with Turkey and Finland, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also expressed support for Sweden’s membership, stating that “the time is now to welcome Sweden as a full member of NATO.” He will meet with officials from Turkey, Sweden, and Finland on Thursday to discuss the matter further.
In conclusion, President Biden’s meeting with Prime Minister Kristersson demonstrates the United States’ support for Sweden’s bid to join NATO. However, obstacles raised by Turkey and Hungary continue to impede Sweden’s membership, raising uncertainties about its inclusion in the alliance.