NATO formally invites Finland and Sweden to join the alliance.
Source: New York Times
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, center, after the agreement clearing the way for Finland and Sweden to pursue NATO membership was announced in Madrid on Tuesday.Credit...Bernat Armangue/Associated Press
MADRID NATO leaders on Wednesday formally invited Finland and Sweden to join the alliance, one day after Turkey dropped its objections to their membership, clearing the way for what would be one of the most significant expansions of the alliance in decades. The historic deal, following Turkeys agreement to a memorandum with the two Nordic countries, underscores how the war in Ukraine has backfired for President Vladimir V. Putin, subverting Russian efforts to weaken NATO and pushing Sweden and Finland, which were neutral and nonaligned for decades, into the alliances arms.
After weeks of talks, capped by an hourslong meeting in Madrid, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey agreed to lift his block on Sweden and Finlands membership in return for a set of actions and promises that they will act against terrorism and terrorist organizations. As NATO allies, Finland and Sweden commit to fully support Turkey against threats to its national security, NATOs secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said, providing some details of the agreement.
This includes further amending their domestic legislation, cracking down on P.K.K. activities and entering into an agreement with Turkey on extradition, he added, referring to the Kurdistan Workers Party, which seeks an independent Kurdish state on territory partly within Turkeys borders. The legislatures of all 30 current members must vote to amend the NATO founding treaty to accept the new members. That has in the past taken up to a year, but is expected to be much quicker for the Nordic countries. The U.S. Senate is already pressing ahead with hearings on the application, and Mr. Biden has been a firm proponent of the new members.
Mr. Erdogan had been blocking the Nordic countries NATO bids amid concerns over Swedens longtime support for the P.K.K., which has attacked nonmilitary targets and killed civilians in Turkey, is outlawed in that country and is designated by both the United States and the European Union as a terrorist organization. But the memorandum does not specify the extradition of any of the 45 people or so Mr. Erdogan wanted sent to Turkey to face trial on terrorism charges. Sweden has already passed tougher legislation against terrorism that goes into effect on Friday.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/29/world/europe/nato-sweden-finland.html
The Finland acceptance might also be partly why a pissed-off Putin has been hurling missiles all the the way to Kyiv.
Since this is a treaty, that means the Senate has to pass something in support (and the OP article notes that hearings are scheduled).
Thomas Hurt
(13,903 posts)by invading UKR. All it did was push Finland and Sweden to take this step.
Lovie777
(11,992 posts)Putin is taking his frustrations and evilness out on them.
Response to BumRushDaShow (Original post)
Beachnutt This message was self-deleted by its author.
mathematic
(1,430 posts)You could at least check to see if the Democrats you're trying to slam are actually opposed to the thing you're trying to slam them for.
Beachnutt
(7,189 posts)one word is not a slam.
Have a great day!
Baitball Blogger
(46,575 posts)ancianita
(35,812 posts)LetMyPeopleVote
(143,999 posts)IronLionZion
(45,258 posts)do Georgia next, and some day soon Ukraine