Biden supports Sweden's NATO bid, talks with Turkey to follow

(Patria) - US President Joe Biden has supported Sweden's entry into NATO in talks with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, as there are doubts whether Turkey will lift its opposition in time for the military alliance's summit next week, Reuters reported.

Biden, who sat next to Kristersson in the Oval Office with reporters present, said he "eagerly awaits your membership" in NATO. Kristersson said after the meeting that the two leaders agreed that the Vilnius meeting was the "natural time" to finalize the Nordic country's bid to join the alliance.

Biden "praised Sweden's role as a regional security provider and emphasized his commitment to welcoming Sweden into NATO as soon as possible".

Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year, abandoning
a long-standing policy of military non-alignment following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Membership applications
must be approved by all NATO members. Turkey and Hungary have yet to approve
Sweden's application. Finland was approved in April.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan says Stockholm is harboring members of militant groups,
namely supporters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Sweden, whom he accuses of
organizing demonstrations and financing terrorist groups.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday and encouraged Turkey's support for Sweden to join the NATO military alliance, according to a State Department statement.

Sweden, Turkey, and NATO will meet on Thursday in Brussels to try to find a solution before the July 11-12 summit.