Despite the fact that Ankara’s claims are exclusively related to Sweden, Finland will not agree to the ratification of its accession to be completed separately.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that Stockholm cannot fulfill the demands that Ankara is putting forward as a condition for Sweden’s unblocking and Finland’s accession to NATO, SVT reports.
Commenting on the memorandum signed between Finland, Sweden and Turkey before the latter agreed to their entry into the Alliance at the NATO summit in June, Kristersson said that no major changes have taken place since then.
“Turkey simultaneously confirms that we have done what we promised to do, but also declares that it wants steps from us that we cannot do and do not want to do. And now the decision is in Turkey’s hands,” said the prime minister.
He expressed his belief that Ankara would eventually ratify the accession, but declined to predict when that might happen.
“Many factors play a role here: both internal political factors and Sweden’s ability to prove that we are serious about what we say,” he said.
Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said that despite the fact that Ankara’s claims are exclusively related to Sweden, Finland will not agree to the ratification of its accession to be completed separately.
“We applied for NATO membership together and we will complete this process together. Sweden is our closest friend and partner. In addition, it is not in our interests to join the Alliance without Sweden – then the protection will not be reliable. Sweden and Finland together are a military-strategic unit,” said Pekka Haavisto.
We remind you, earlier the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, said that Sweden and Finland will become members of NATO before the end of 2023.
Source: korrespondent
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