Biden, Swedish and Finnish executives to host NATO to discuss

US President Joe Biden will receive the leaders of Sweden and Finland at the White House on Thursday, 19 at the request of these countries to join NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) during the invasion of Russia. Ukraine.

The Finnish Parliament today approved the government’s proposal for the country to apply to join the military alliance. Also today, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde signed the letter in which the country will apply for membership in the organization.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean said that Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson will meet with Biden to discuss “NATO practices and European security” as well as “strengthening our close partnerships on various global issues and supporting Ukraine”.

To join NATO, countries need the unanimous approval of member states, and the only one who publicly opposes this is Turkey, which both accuses them of harboring so-called Kurdish “terrorists”. However, other members of the alliance have already expressed confidence that they can persuade the Turkish government not to veto Finland and Sweden.

“I have heard reasonable words from Turkey in recent days, open to dialogue,” Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Monday.

The move is a result of Russia’s war on Ukrainian soil, which is now in its 83rd day. Sweden and Finland are members of the European Union, but historically they have remained neutral between the West and Russia.

However, the invasion of Ukraine made them reconsider their neutral status, especially Finland, which shares a 1,300 km border with Russian territory. Sweden was quieter, but Finland’s accession would make it the only Baltic Sea country outside of NATO.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he did not see the entry of the two Scandinavian countries into NATO as a “threat”, but warned that Moscow’s response would depend on the alliance’s military presence on Swedish and Finnish soil.

* with AFP and Ansa