Ukrainian conflict will stall, Scandinavians should join NATO: WH
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US White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says there are currently no signs that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine will end anytime soon.
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Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House John Kirby
According to US White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, there are currently no signs that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine will end anytime soon.
"We are now 11 months into this war and there is no sign of its stopping," Kirby said. "It is very likely that when February 24 comes around, Ukraine will still be fighting for its life and for its independence."
Read more: Trump: I could end Ukraine war in 24 hours if I were still president
Additionally, the United States urges Turkey to keep working with Sweden and Finland to settle disagreements regarding their accession to NATO, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Friday.
"We urge Turkey to continue to work with both Sweden and Finland to work through these concerns so that we can get to accession into NATO as soon as possible," Kirby said during a press briefing.
Relations between Sweden and Turkey deteriorated after Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the Danish far-right party Stram Kurs, burned a copy of the holy Quran on Saturday outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm with the approval of the Swedish authorities. Following the event, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Sweden that they don't have Ankara's support for its NATO membership application.
Read more: Sweden urges 'functioning dialogue' with Turkey after series of fails
Trilateral discussions between Turkey, Sweden, and Finland regarding NATO membership were postponed on Tuesday at the request of Ankara.
Sweden's recent and continuous failures first began with a doll representing Erdogan being hanged in Stockholm during a pro-Kurdish protest, which the Swedish Foreign Ministry condemned after calling the protest "provocative".
The second came when MP Akersson labeled the Turkish president as an 'Islamist dictator'. He told Swedish media: "You can't go too far. Because it is ultimately an anti-democratic system we are dealing with," as he added that Sweden should not give in to Turkey's demands too much. "I am party leader of the anti-Islamist Sweden Democrats and have strong views on an Islamist dictator like Erdogan," he stated.
The third and latest comes after Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan burned a copy of the Quran in Stockholm, to which Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström responded by saying the "Islamophobic provocations are appalling."
