Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
White House: Trump called on al-Sharaa to "tell all foreign terrorists to leave Syria, deport Palestinian terrorists, help US prevent resurgence of ISIS, assume responsibility for ISIS detention centers in northeast Syria."
White House says Trump called on Al-Sharaa to join normalization accords with "Israel".
Israeli media, citing officials: Despite the Israeli plea, Donald Trump announced lifting sanctions on Syria
Anadolu: Turkish President Erdogan, US President Trump, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, and Syria's Sharaa hold online meeting.
YAF spokesperson Yahya Saree: Missile on Lod [Ben Gurion] airport is third in less than 24 hours, it achieved its target successfully.
YAF spokesperson: YAF's Missile Force targeted Ben Gurion airport with hypersonic missile.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: 60 martyrs in Israeli strikes on six homes in Gaza since this morning.
IOF says missile launched from Yemen toward "Israel", air defense systems currently working to intercept it.
Macron says Israeli PM's measures on Gaza 'unacceptable' and 'shameful'
Yemeni Armed Forces: Companies that have not announced the suspension of their flights should follow in the footsteps of those who did, suspending flights to airports in occupied Palestine

'Increased' likelihood Finland joins NATO before Sweden: Swedish PM

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 14 Mar 2023 22:20
3 Min Read

Sweden's PM says it had become increasingly clear in recent weeks that Turkey was ready to ratify Finland's NATO bid first.

  • x
  • Sweden
    Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and chief negotiator Oscar Stenstrom hold a news conference on the NATO process in Stockholm, March 14, 2023 (Reuters)

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Tuesday indicated that the likelihood that Finland would join NATO before Sweden had "increased" as Stockholm's bid continues to face opposition from Ankara.

Kristersson told reporters that it had become increasingly clear in recent weeks that Turkey was ready to ratify Finland's bid, but still had reservations about Sweden's, meaning it could ratify Finland's first.

"We have no confirmation that will be the case, but we think that the overall assessment after many conversations recently is that the likelihood of this has increased," the Swedish Prime Minister said at a press conference.

Sweden and Finland have said they hope to be members by the NATO summit in Vilnius in July.

The two countries dropped their decades-long policies of military non-alignment and applied to join the US-led military alliance last May in the wake of the Ukraine war.

Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO members still to ratify Sweden and Finland's bids, which must be accepted by all 30 existing members of the military alliance.

The two Nordic countries coordinated their applications and, up until this point, NATO members have ratified both bids together.

Ankara suspended negotiations with Sweden in outrage following rallies attacking the Turkish leadership in Stockholm and the burning of the holy Quran outside Turkey's embassy, but the talks resumed in Brussels on March 9.

Turkey has opposed the bids, accusing Sweden in particular of providing a safe haven for what it considers "terrorists", especially members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Related News

Brazil's Lula to push Putin to negotiate with Zelensky in Istanbul

Trump mulls lifting Syria sanctions, hopes for 'fresh start'

On his part, chief Swedish negotiator Oscar Stenstrom said at the same press conference that "Turkey still doesn't think we are all the way there, and that was clearly laid out at the meeting," adding that Ankara had not expressed the same "displeasure" toward Finland.

In late February, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that "it's not possible for us to give consent (to a NATO bid) before Sweden fulfills its commitments" under a three-party protocol signed in Madrid in June.

One request vs. a long list of conditions
While #Turkey had a long list of conditions from #Finland and #Sweden, all the two Nordic states wanted was to join #NATO.
Here's your guide to understanding on what basis the agreement was made. pic.twitter.com/Aw7Jtu7frp

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) June 28, 2022

At the beginning of March, Hungarian lawmakers started debating the NATO bids of Finland and Sweden.

However, Hungary's ruling party, Fidesz, confirmed on Tuesday that parliament would not sit next week.

"Due to the delay in the negotiation process with Brussels, the Hungarian parliament has no session next week," the press office of the Fidesz parliamentary group said in an email sent to AFP, without providing further details.

Budapest has been at odds with Brussels for months over blocked EU funds earmarked for Hungary as Brussels insists on anti-corruption reforms.

Yet, Kristersson stressed he was confident that Sweden would eventually become a member of NATO.

"This isn't about if Sweden becomes a NATO member, but exactly when Sweden becomes a NATO member," he said.

The Swedish Prime Minister also considered that with the security guarantees extended to Sweden during its application process, the country was "safer now than before we applied," and this would also be the case if Finland joined before Sweden.

Read more: Unless Madrid deal implemented, Turkey to block Sweden NATO bid: FM

  • Turkey
  • Nato
  • Finland
  • Helsinki
  • Sweden
  • Ulf Kristersson
  • Nato Alliance
  • Ankara
  • Stockholm
Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

Most Read

Trump cut off contact with Netanyahu, senior Israeli official says

Trump cut off contact with Netanyahu: Israeli media

  • US & Canada
  • 9 May 2025
Saree

Yemeni Armed Forces target key Israeli sites, USS Truman

  • MENA
  • 7 May 2025
A boy draped in a Palestinian flag carries a mock rocket during a weekly anti-US and anti-Israeli rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, May 9, 2025 (AP)

Yemen announces hypersonic missile strike on Ben Gurion Airport

  • Politics
  • 9 May 2025
President Donald Trump, left, greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Washington (AP)

US pressures 'Israel' for Gaza deal; Witkoff's Israeli rebuke leaked

  • US & Canada
  • 9 May 2025

Coverage

All
Gaza prevails against genocide

Read Next

All
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer with his wife Victoria make their way through supporters as they arrive at the count for the Holborn and St Pancras Parliamentary constituency where the Starmer is standing for election, in London, Friday, July 5, 2024 (AP)
Politics

UK Labour MPs urge government to recognize Palestine

Israeli exodus: 60,000 Israelis fled last year without return
Politics

Israeli exodus: 60,000 settlers fled last year on one-way tickets

Hollywood actors condemn Gaza violence days before Cannes Festival
Arts and Culture

350+ Hollywood actors condemn Gaza genocide ahead of Cannes Festival

Likud minister calls Trump as ‘unpredictable,’ unreliable
Palestine

Likud minister rebukes Trump, calls him 'unpredictable', unreliable

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS