Skip to main content

US assures Sweden, Finland of military support as Turkey delays NATO entry

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg poses with application documents presented by Finland's Ambassador to NATO Klaus Korhonen and Sweden's Ambassador to NATO Axel Wernhoff during a ceremony to mark Sweden's and Finland's application for membership in Brussels, on May 18, 2022.

The Biden administration is offering military support to bolster the defenses of Sweden and Finland against potential Russian actions as Turkey threatens to delay the two Nordic countries’ admission into the NATO alliance.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin sat down with Sweden’s Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist at the Pentagon on Wednesday. Earlier today, the governments in both Stockholm and Helsinki formally applied to join the alliance for the first time as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.