natoExtension goes one step further.turkiyeParliament approved on the evening of 23rdswedenBy joining NATO, Hungary would be the last country to approve Sweden’s membership; Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said he has invited Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to discuss Sweden’s membership in NATO.
After Finland joined NATO in April last year, Sweden’s joining will expand NATO’s territory, strengthen NATO’s air and maritime capabilities and enhance NATO’s position in the Baltic Sea and the Arctic, which will make Russia feel threatened. .
Joining NATO requires the approval of all member states, and Sweden has applied for membership and has been working for more than a year.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Kristersson and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Lithuania on July 10 last year to confirm Turkey’s approval for Sweden’s membership in NATO. Sweden’s entry into NATO has removed a major obstacle.
On the 23rd, the Turkish Parliament approved Sweden’s membership decision with 287 votes in favor, 55 votes against and 4 abstentions. Orbán immediately posted on the social platform X (formerly Twitter) that Sweden is one step closer to becoming a full member of NATO. ,
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also posted on adviser Henrik Landerholm, in addition to praising the Turkish parliament’s approval, but also stressed the continued support for Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression.
Hungary has not put forward specific conditions for Sweden to join NATO, and has been described by Reuters as “following Turkey”. Orbán has invited Kristersson to Budapest to discuss Sweden’s membership in NATO, signaling there is an opportunity for a nod.
Hungary is expected to be the last country to ratify. At this time, Sweden is expected to become the 32nd member of NATO. NATO will also celebrate its 75th anniversary in April this year.
However, according to the New York Times, there are still doubts about whether Sweden can quickly join in. Turkey may delay submitting approval to NATO. The Hungarian Parliament is in recess until February 15, and it is uncertain when the ratification bill will be processed.
After the outbreak of the Russian–Ukrainian War, Finland, Sweden, and Ukraine all expressed their desire to join the NATO military alliance. As NATO’s territory expanded, the scope and capabilities of collective defense also expanded; “To attack one is to attack all.” If Russian troops enter NATO territory it will inevitably trigger this clause, and all member states, including the United States, will respond.
Sweden’s membership would not only allow NATO allies to conduct military operations on Swedish territory, but Sweden would also receive protection from all NATO member states if attacked.
According to many media reports, the main reason for Turkey to block Sweden from attending the conference is that it hopes to purchase F-16 fighter jets from the United States to improve the level of its current fleet.
After Erdogan released the deal, Sullivan publicly said he would sell F-16 fighter aircraft to Turkey. The US Congress blocked the move on the grounds that the Turkish government violated human rights and said it would wait for Turkey to agree to Sweden’s membership before agreeing. for the sale of weapons; The Associated Press quoted US government officials as saying that after Turkey approves Sweden’s membership, the US arms sales process to Turkey will also speed up.
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