Blinken: It's Time for Sweden to Join NATO

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated today, during a visit to Sweden and other Nordic countries, that it is now time for NATO member states to finalize Sweden's admission to the alliance, saying, "There is no reason not to move forward." Blinken added in a press conference that "Sweden has taken significant steps to address the security concerns expressed by Turkey, a member of the alliance, and has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to NATO." Additionally, Blinken urged Turkey today to approve Sweden's application to join NATO, stating that the Scandinavian nation has already made important strides in addressing Ankara's objections to its application. Blinken also declined to suggest that Turkey's approval of Sweden's bid to join the alliance is linked to the United States selling F-16 fighter jets to Ankara, despite U.S. President Joe Biden hinting yesterday that there may be a connection between the two matters. Blinken noted that Washington continues to work towards completing Sweden's accession before the NATO summit in mid-July, which will gather heads of state from the alliance.