“The issue of Sweden and Finland is not a bilateral issue. We have been very clear in public, and we have also been very clear in private about our views on Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership candidates. We believe they are ready, we believe they are ready. should be added to the world’s strongest defense alliance as soon as possible “, he said.
Responding to a media inquiry about the return of Finland and Sweden to an operational dialogue on NATO membership, the spokesperson of the US State Department said that the US intends to continue its support for the candidacy of the two Nordic countries.
“We can continue to express our support for their candidates. We can continue to engage publicly and privately with Turkey and make it clear that we believe these two countries are ready. They are ready to be included in the alliance whenever possible,” Price added.
Sweden and Finland have jointly applied for NATO membership, but Turkey has so far blocked the expansion, citing that Sweden must crack down on exiled Kurdish militants and their supporters and hand over critics of the Turkish president. Erdoğanreported Euronews.
Sweden and Finland’s joint offer to join NATO requires the approval of all current member states, including Turkey. So far, the countries have committed to join the alliance together.
In addition, the spokesperson for the US State Department also spoke at length about the burning of the Koran in Stockholm, Sweden.
Describing the incident as reprehensible and disgusting, a spokesperson for the US State Department said that no one in this administration expresses any kind of support for this vile act that took place.
Calling Sweden a “living democracy,” he added: “The reason something like this can happen is precisely because Sweden stands for freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and when you give people those freedoms, you protect those freedoms, sometimes they make terrible decisions. . . They do terrible things.” “
