Swedish PM will meet with Biden to discuss NATO entry and war in Ukraine

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will visit Washington on Wednesday for talks with US President Joe Biden on Sweden's application to join NATO, transatlantic security ties and Russia's war in Ukraine. Source: This was announced in the White House on 1 July, European Pravda reports. Details: The two leaders "will review our growing security cooperation and reiterate their view that Sweden should join NATO as soon as possible," the White House said in a statement.

Quote: "The leaders will discuss our shared commitment to support Ukraine in the face of Russia's brutal war of aggression and closer transatlantic coordination with the People's Republic of China," the statement said.

Kristersson noted that the focus of the visit will be Sweden's accession to NATO. Quote: "I am pleased that President Biden is inviting us to a meeting next week, ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius next week," he said in a statement. Sweden, along with neighbouring Finland, abandoned its long-standing military neutrality following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and applied for NATO membership.

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But Stockholm's entry into the military alliance is still blocked by two of its members - Turkey and Hungary. NATO requires unanimous approval of all members for expansion. The government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has opposed Sweden's bid, accusing Stockholm of being too lenient with groups it sees as a security threat.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called a new meeting on 6 July to try to overcome Turkey's objections to Sweden's accession to the alliance.

At the same time, Kristersson said on Friday that his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orban, had assured him of Budapest's intention not to delay the ratification of the Scandinavian country's accession to NATO.

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