US President Joe Biden expressed confidence in Sweden's imminent accession to NATO, despite obstacles posed by Turkey and Hungary. Speaking at a United States Air

Force Academy graduation ceremony, Biden commended the unity of NATO during the Russian invasion of Ukraine and emphasized the alliance's strength with the recent addition of Finland and the forthcoming inclusion of Sweden. He assured the audience that Sweden's NATO membership would happen "as soon as possible" and vowed to fulfill his promise.

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, recently urged Turkey to approve Sweden's bid for NATO membership, stressing the urgency to finalize the process before the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius. Sweden and neighboring Finland initiated their NATO membership applications following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with Finland officially joining the alliance in April. However, Sweden's application remains pending due to the lack of approval from Hungary and Turkey, with the latter being the primary obstacle. Turkey accuses Sweden of providing sanctuary to members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which it designates as a "terrorist" group.

Sweden has been actively addressing Turkey's concerns in accordance with a trilateral memorandum signed by Sweden, Turkey, and Finland last year. Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of NATO member states convened in Norway to discuss various matters, and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted at his Swedish counterpart, urging Sweden to fulfill its commitments and take concrete steps against terrorism.

President Biden had earlier raised the issue with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, emphasizing the importance of finalizing a deal with Sweden while congratulating Erdogan on his re-election. In his recent remarks, Biden refrained from mentioning Turkey directly but reiterated NATO's solidarity in response to the Russian invasion. He also reaffirmed the United States' commitment to supporting Ukraine both militarily and financially, highlighting the extensive aid provided by Washington to Kyiv since the conflict's inception. Photo by Julo, Wikimedia commons.