DAccording to the Kremlin, Sweden’s accession to NATO will have “negative consequences” for Russia’s security. This decision will have “negative consequences, that’s for sure,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. Russia will take “foreseen and planned” countermeasures, as Finland did in April.
Turkey announced on Monday evening that it would give the green light to Sweden joining the alliance. Asked about Ankara’s approval of Stockholm’s NATO entry, Peskov said Turkey is a “member of NATO and has its own commitments to honor.” Moscow “understands the situation very well”.
“We have differences, we don’t hide them,” said the Kremlin spokesman. “But part of our relationship is in the interest of our two countries,” she said, “important enough” for Russia and Turkey.
Regarding the NATO summit in Lithuania, which began on Tuesday, Peskov said the Kremlin was observing the meeting very closely. “It is undoubtedly an alliance summit with a strong anti-Russian character. Russia is seen as an enemy, as an adversary, and it is in this context that the discussions will take place.”
Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last year. After Finland’s admission to NATO in April, Russia also announced “countermeasures”.
Erdogan gives up resistance
On Monday evening, Turkey gave up its opposition to Sweden joining NATO. Turkey has thus completed a U-turn. Shortly before, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had set a new hurdle for Sweden’s approval of NATO membership by calling for his country to move closer to the EU.
Turkey had blocked Sweden’s admission to NATO because, according to the government in Ankara, the northern country was not cooperating sufficiently in the fight against Kurdish extremists.
Sweden was militarily neutral for a long time. After Russia attacked Ukraine, however, that changed and the country, like Finland, applied for NATO membership. Finland was able to join in April. However, Sweden’s request was blocked by Turkey and Hungary. The chief of staff of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had already declared on Thursday that his country would no longer block the way for Sweden. “The completion of the ratification process is now only a technical question,” Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto also said on Tuesday on the online service Facebook. Hungary’s position is clear: “The government supports Stockholm’s entry into the Atlantic Alliance.”
It was not yet clear on Tuesday when the Turkish parliament would ratify Sweden’s accession to NATO. Erdogan has promised to do it as soon as possible, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday evening after a meeting with the Turkish President and Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. The next session of Turkey’s parliament is scheduled for Tuesday, which means it could, at least in theory, give its approval while the two-day summit in Vilnius is underway. If the Hungarian parliament then also ratifies quickly, Sweden could soon officially become the 32nd member of NATO.
“A Good Day for Sweden” – Warplanes for Ankara
“This is a good day for Sweden,” said Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. His country has come a long way.
US President Joe Biden welcomed Turkey’s endorsement and agreed to work with Erdogan to improve defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said he wanted to move forward with the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey in consultation with Congress in Washington. Biden “clearly expressed that he supports the transfer.” Some NATO partners saw Erdogan’s months of hesitation on the Sweden question as a means of pressure on the United States to deliver the long-awaited F-16 fighter jets to Turkey.
The joint efforts had paid off, tweeted Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. “The way is finally clear for Turkey to ratify Sweden’s NATO membership.” With then 32 NATO members, everyone would be safer together.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell took the same line. “A historic step was taken in Vilnius today. Sweden’s path to NATO is open! This is good news for the Swedish people and for our common security and defense policy. A stronger NATO makes Europe safer,” he wrote on Twitter.
According to Stoltenberg, in return Erdogan received Stockholm’s commitment to actively support Ankara’s desire to join the EU. Kristersson emphasized that the points agreed between the countries are long-term commitments from the Swedish side. “So this isn’t just something we’re doing to be allowed to join NATO,” he said.
A rapprochement with Ankara would be a huge step for the EU. Turkey’s accession process has been on hold since 2018. The reasons for this are the regression in democracy under Erdogan, which the Union complained about, concerns about deficits in rule of law and violations of the law in Turkey and Ankara’s ongoing dispute with EU member Cyprus.
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