NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg Does Not Know When Turkey Will Release Its Hold On Sweden And Finland Joining NATO

 

Defense One: ‘No Way to Say’ When Turkey Will Release Hold on Sweden, Finland, Says NATO’s Stoltenberg 

With Madrid deadline looming, “the progress is maybe just the fact that we have open lines” of communication, Finland’s president said. 

NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg said there is no way to predict when Finland and Sweden will be able to join the alliance, despite initial expectations that the two Nordic nations would be swiftly accepted. “We are working to find a solution as soon as possible, but when…several countries are involved, there’s no way to say exactly when these countries are going to be able to agree,” Stoltenberg said Monday at a press conference in Sweden. 

Stoltenberg visited Finland and Sweden on Sunday and Monday to discuss the status of their applications to join NATO and the best way to address objections from Turkey. Talks between the three nations have continued, but Finnish President Sauli Niinisto suggested that not much progress has been made in meeting Ankara’s demands—that the countries take “concrete steps” to crack down on terrorism and allow arms sales to Turkey.  

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WNU Editor: This could all have been avoided if NATO's leaders consulted with countries like Turkey before Sweden and Finland made their announcement on wanting to join NATO. 

In the mean time the NATO Secretary is groveling to Turkey .... NATO chief: Turkish concerns over Nordic expansion 'legitimate' (DW).