- Turkey lifts its opposition to Sweden and Finland joining NATO.
- Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg calls it a “historic decision”.
- Turkey wanted them to change their stance on Kurdish rebel groups.
Turkish opposition to Sweden and Finland joining NATO is dropped. A deadlock that had threatened to overshadow a leaders’ meeting beginning; in Madrid amid Europe’s biggest security crisis in decades; brought on by the war in Ukraine, was resolved on Tuesday; when Turkey agreed to drop its objections to Sweden and Finland joining NATO.
Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg declared; that “we now have an agreement that paves the path for Finland and Sweden to join NATO”; following hurried summit meetings; with the leaders of the three nations. It was “a historic decision,” he said.
President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has had a number of devastating effects; but among them is that Sweden and Finland have abandoned their long-held nonaligned status; and applied to join NATO in order to defend themselves against an increasingly aggressive Russia; which shares a long border with Finland. According to NATO treaties, an attack on one member; would be seen as an attack against all; and the entire alliance would launch a military response.
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Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, threatened to scuttle the Nordic alliance; by pressing they shift their position on the Kurdish rebel groups; that Turkey views as terrorists.
On Tuesday, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö announced that the three leaders; had signed a common accord to end the impasse following days of negotiations; and weeks of diplomacy.
Including “complete collaboration… in the war against” the rebel groups; Turkey claimed it had “received what it desired.”
On Wednesday, the 30 member nations of the alliance will formally invite the two nations to join; according to Stoltenberg. The decision still needs to be approved by each individual country; but he expressed his “100% confidence” that Finland and Sweden would join; which may happen in the next months.
The deal, according to Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson; “excellent news for Sweden and Finland. And NATO benefits from it.”
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