Swedish foreign minister says ambition is to join NATO by July

Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom and Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares Bueno attend a news conference at the government headquarters in Stockholm on May 26, 2023. (Reuters)

• Finland joined NATO last month, but Sweden's membership has been held up by objections from Turkiye and Hungary
• Billstrom said he hoped Turkiye’s parliament would begin the ratification process after the dust has settled

STOCKHOLM: Sweden still hopes to be a member of NATO by the time of the alliance’s summit in Vilnius in July, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said on Friday.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine convinced Sweden and Finland last year to ditch long-held policies of military non-alignment and seek security of NATO’s collective defense commitment.
Finland joined NATO last month, but Sweden’s membership has been held up by objections from Turkiye and Hungary.
“There isn’t going to be any plan B or anything like that. Plan B is plan A — that is full membership in NATO and that is what I and the government are going to work for all the way to Vilnius,” he told reporters.
Turks vote in the second round of a tight presidential election on Sunday, with incumbent Tayyip Erdogan leading after the first ballot.
Billstrom said he hoped Turkiye’s parliament would begin the ratification process after the dust has settled.
“It is time for Turkiye to start its ratification process and uphold its part of the bargain,” Billstrom said.
Sweden and Finland struck a three-way deal in Madrid in June last year aimed at addressing Turkiye’s security worries.
But Ankara has continued to drag its heels over Sweden, saying Stockholm harbors members of militant groups it considers to be terrorists.
Hungary has also objected to Sweden’s application citing grievances over Swedish criticism of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s record on democracy and the rule of law.
Billstrom said it was unclear what objections Budapest had to Sweden’s membership.
“Hungary gave its support at the summit in Madrid last year for Sweden to be given invitee status without any conditions,” he said. “It is our firm opinion that they should start ratification.”