Speaking about the decision of Finland and Sweden to apply for NATO membership, Mr. Geoan said that having Allies on all sides of the Baltic Sea will change the strategic environment in the region and make the defence of the Baltic countries easier and of the whole North more coherent. Turkey's objection to Finland and Sweden's entry into NATO appears to play into what Russian president Vladimir Putin wants, seeing as the Kremlin has threatened both countries against joining the alliance. New members to the alliance require unanimous approval. I should also stress that there is no time pressure on us, Cavusoglu said today. Europe on the defensive: EU states move towards more military spending, co-operation, New shooting along Azerbaijan, Armenia border hours before US-mediated talks, Putin says 50,000 mobilised Russian soldiers serving with combat units, Ukraine warns of Russian attacks onenergyinfrastructure, Climate activists glue hands to Goya paintings at Spain's Prado museum, German rescue ship Humanity 1 enters Sicilian port, disembarks minors, Iran admits sending drones to Russia 'before war in Ukraine', Cartooning for Peace: Lula's return to power in Brazil provides hope for the Amazon, Putin says civilians in Ukraine's Kherson should be evacuated, Germany urges Italy to help migrants stranded onboard NGO boats, Uproar in French parliament following racist 'back to Africa' outburst, Exploding, low-tech boats churn up Russias Black Sea interests and standing, Some 4.5 million Ukrainians temporarily without power, says Zelensky. HENRIK MONTGOMERY/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images, Jailed Egypt dissident's death in 'no one's interest', sister says, Africa facing climate impact 'nightmare': Kenyan president, UN unveils global 'early warning' system for disasters at $3 billion, Swedish academic Paul Levin says Sweden's decision to cut off Syria's Kurds is a pyrrhic win for Turkey, Kurdish gains in Iraq and Syria drive Turkish attacks, says researcher Meghan Bodette, Kurdish struggle critical linchpin of Iran protests, says BBC World Affairs correspondent Jiyar Gol, Intimate wear startup CEO talks creative e-commerce from restricted Palestine, ICEP co-host shares the value of Palestinian human capital for startups, First Arabic meditation app founder discusses access to funding in Palestine. Turkey had threatened to block Sweden and Finlands membership in the 30-member defense alliance, accusing Stockholm and to a [] New members to the alliance require unanimous approval. The Turkish parliament will be back from a summer recess on Oct. 1 and will likely go on another recess shortly after for the campaigning period ahead of the presidential and general elections scheduled to be held in June 2023. A place for major news from around the world, excluding US-internal news. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Finland, Sweden promise to join NATO together in united front to Turkey. A historically non-aligned country, Finland, along with neighboring Sweden, applied to join NATO following the launch of Russias military operation in Ukraine in February. Finnish President Sauli Niinisto on Sunday confirmed that the country would apply to join NATO. - Wick Communications, Sweden's new Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin during their joint news conference after their official meeting at the PM's official residence Kesarantain Helsinki, Finland, October 28, 2022. Audience ratings certified by ACPM/OJD. The latest from Ukraine as a US-based thinktank says mobilisation may not be over in Russia, as Vladimir Putin has claimed; the MoD says troops are being sent to fight with "minimal or no training". Intimate in-person access to policy and business VIPs. All information materials published on this website are intended solely for personal use. Finland and Sweden will joint NATO at the same time, their prime ministers said on Friday, presenting a united front to Turkey which has raised questions about both their applications. The content you requested does not exist or is not available anymore. The top Turkish diplomat has reiterated Ankaras threat to block Sweden and Finlands accession into NATO. Unmanned Combat Areal Vehicles (UCAVs): The Future of Areal Warfare?, Episode 12: Update on the Caucasus and the Future of Journalism With Mike Godwin, Unmanned Underwater Vehicles: A Strategic Opportunity, This Content Is for Secret and Top Secret Clearance holders Only. New members to the alliance require unanimous approval. Mevlut Cavusoglus remarks came as political observers set their sights on a potential meeting between the Turkish and American leaders next week. Weekly A.I. A meeting could also smooth an array of outstanding issues between Ankara and Washington, including the Turkish bid to purchase new F-16s and modernization kits from the United States. But she said she would not leave Sweden behind in the process. Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic country in Scandinavia.It borders Norway to the west and north, Finland to the east, and is connected to Denmark in the southwest by a bridgetunnel across the resund.At 450,295 square kilometres (173,860 sq mi), Sweden is the largest Nordic country, the third-largest country in the European Union, and the fifth-largest Fri, Nov 04, 2022 LOGIN Subscribe for $1 Infosys, the Indian IT services company Rishi Sunak's wife's family owns, remains in Moscow eight months after saying it was pulling out, the Guardian has reported. But would NATO go as far in response to Turkey's refusal to approve Finland and Sweden's bid for membership? Speaking about the decision of Finland and Sweden to apply for NATO membership, Mr. Geoan said that having Allies on all sides of the Baltic Sea will change the strategic environment in the region and make the defence of the Baltic countries easier and of the whole North more coherent. Kristersson's spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for a comment. A historically non-aligned country, Finland, along with neighboring Sweden, applied to join NATO following the launch of Russias military operation in Ukraine in February. All 30 NATO member states except Turkey and Hungary have ratified the accession of Sweden and Finland. Finland And Sweden All Geared-Up For NATO. Turkey had threatened to block Sweden and Finlands membership in the 30-member defense alliance, accusing Stockholm and to a [] 30M subscribers in the worldnews community. 30M subscribers in the worldnews community. With Finland and Sweden poised to join the NATO military alliance, neutral Austria is looking for closer cooperation with like-minded EU nations Cyprus, Ireland and Malta. [, Russia feels threatened by NATO expansion and will look to maintain a military presence on its northern border with Finland. US Ambassador to Finland Douglas Hickey was quoted by Politico last month as saying he is confident Finland and Sweden will be in NATO by the end of the year. However, Trkiye, a NATO member for over 70 years, voiced objections to the membership bids, criticizing the two countries for So far 23 of the 30 NATO members have done so. "It's completely legitimate that Turkey gets confirmation that Sweden is doing what Sweden has committed to do within the framework of the agreement," he added. Some already have theories on the matter. The situation appears to be at a standstill. Orbn will ratify the agreement, but he will likely use Turkeys motivation to help him prolong the process. Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic country in Scandinavia.It borders Norway to the west and north, Finland to the east, and is connected to Denmark in the southwest by a bridgetunnel across the resund.At 450,295 square kilometres (173,860 sq mi), Sweden is the largest Nordic country, the third-largest country in the European Union, and the fifth-largest All 30 NATO member states except Turkey and Hungary have ratified the accession of Sweden and Finland. Turkey has blocked the start of talks over Finland and Sweden's NATO membership. Meanwhile, the Finnish president stressed that their accession to NATO depended largely on Turkey. The chances of that happening even before Turkey's presidential election Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting begins in Yerevan, Connoisseurs of "What? Stoltenberg "welcomed the major, concrete steps already taken by both countries to put the memorandum into practice, and stressed that their accession will make NATO stronger", the alliance said in a statement on Friday. [, Although Russia has a history of conflict against the nordic countries, now they have become invitees, any action against Finland and Sweden would bring all other NATO members into conflict. The Democratic Party Should Set Higher Standards | Opinion, The Democratic Party is Becoming Less Inclusive | Opinion. Please subscribe to the Secret Clearance or Top Secret Clearance to unlock this content. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said Helsinki favors joining the alliance at the same time as Sweden. Are we alone in the universe, or is there a chance to find life on other planets? It is a reasonable risk in the short term, because the Mediterranean is not the most pressing issue for NATO right now. "Because when an ally, an important ally as Turkey, raises security concerns, raises issues, then, of course, the only way to deal with that is to sit down and find ways to find a common ground and an agreement on how to move forward.". "I don't think it will be helpful if I go into the specifics of all those conversations, but of course we're addressing the concerns that Turkey has expressed," Stoltenberg said, answering a question from a reporter. However, the process still needs every NATO member to ratify the agreement and sign off on it. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (C) and Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson take part in a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Madrid, on June 28, 2022. Sweden and Finlands NATO bids have been approved by 28 out of 30 members, with only Hungary and Turkey holding out. Although he does not consider Hungary's approval as an automatic solution, he is not worried about Budapest either. France 24 is not responsible for the content of external websites. The latest from Ukraine as a US-based thinktank says mobilisation may not be over in Russia, as Vladimir Putin has claimed; the MoD says troops are being sent to fight with "minimal or no training". Sweden and Finland fear that Hungary will veto their accession to NATO. The sale requires Congress approval. "[Erdoan] isn't that serious about this," Suny says. Try it for free and cancel anytime. He believes that Orban is using Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO to blackmail Brussels. RATIFICATION OF FINLAND AND SWEDEN'S ACCESSION TO NATO After thorough debates across their whole societies and with large parliamentary majorities supporting the decision, Finland and Sweden simultaneously handed their official letters of application to join NATO over to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on 18 May 2022. Al-Monitor.com is a trusted and award-winning independent source of Middle East news and analysis, founded in 2012. We also offer team plans. However, Trkiye, a NATO member for over 70 years, voiced objections to the membership bids, criticizing the two countries for But Suny said Erdoan's historically uneasy alliance with Putin has nothing to do with the Turkish president's refusal now. var today = new Date() One of the individuals in Sweden whom Erdoan is targeting is Blent Kene, a journalist who was convicted in Turkey of insulting the President and has now become a bargaining chip for Sweden and Finlands membership of NATO, even as all but two of the alliances 30 members have ratified their accession. Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning, Take international news everywhere with you! At the time, U.S. Finland and Sweden formally applied to join NATO in June, a decision spurred by Russia's war on Ukraine. KJ 2: It is likely that Russia will move more troops and weapons to the border with Finland in the next 12 months. All 30 NATO member states except Turkey and Hungary have ratified the accession of Sweden and Finland. Erdogan and Stoltenberg held a private meeting in Istanbul that was closed to the media. When?" Further to reports we brought you earlier on the additional $400 million in military aid the US will be providing for Ukraine, here is a bit more on what the funding will entail. Among the 30 members of the U.S.-led military alliance, only Hungary and Turkey have not given their approval for the two countries to join NATO.