Sweden and Finland poised to join Nato after Turkey drops opposition to membership bids

The three nations’ leaders sign memorandum of understanding to pave way for accession to alliance

FINLAND and Sweden were last night given the green light to join Nato after convincing Turkey to drop its opposition to their membership.

In a historic moment for the military alliance, the Turkish leader joined his Swedish and Finnish counterparts to sign a memorandum of understanding, paving the way for their accession to the alliance.

Jens Stoltenberg, its secretary-general, said: “We now have an agreement that paves the way for Finland and Sweden to join Nato.”

Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, hailed the breakthrough as “fantastic news”, adding: “Sweden and Finland’s membership will make our brilliant alliance stronger and safer.”

The deal was brokered following more than two hours of intense negotiations on the eve of a leadership summit in Madrid. The resolution of the deadlock marked a triumph for intense diplomacy as Nato allies try to seal the Nordic accession in record time to solidify their response to Russia – particularly in the Baltic Sea, where Finnish and Swedish membership would give the alliance military superiority.

At the conference, Nato leaders will today agree to bring Finland and Sweden into the alliance, enlarging it to a 32-member organisation. Both countries were neutral throughout the Cold War but applied to join in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

But for more than a month, Ankara had vetoed their attempts to gain membership over their alleged indulgence of Kurdish groups, such as the PKK, which Turkey has listed as a terrorist organisation.

However, last night Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish president, said he had been satisfied by the Nordic nations that they would crack down on Islamic terrorists.

Sources said that the Turkish leader had “got what he wanted” from the talks in Madrid. To overcome Turkey’s opposition, Finland and Sweden agreed to tighten their laws for tackling terrorist activities and open negotiations with Ankara over extradition treaties.

Their deal will also open talks to lift arms embargoes imposed on Turkey in 2019 after Ankara agreed to purchase Russian-made missile systems.

Critics have accused Mr Erdogan of resisting Finland and Sweden’s Nato membership in order to broker a deal with the US to resume sales of fighter jets.

The Turkish leader confirmed he would address the United States’

‘Nato is strengthening its posture and is focused on all directions and domains, land, air and sea’

‘Without the support of Nato, it would be difficult to survive in this war against Russia’

refusal to sell Ankara the F-16 warplanes, another contentious issue between Nato allies, in a separate meeting tomorrow with Joe Biden, the US president.

Washington did not wish to bow to Turkish demands to resume sales of fighter jets. However, this was expected to be a key part in a deal to bring Finland and Sweden into Nato.

Sauli Niinistö, Finland’s president, said: “Our joint memorandum underscores the commitment of Finland, Sweden and Turkey to extend their full support against threats to each other’s security.

“Us becoming Nato allies will further strengthen this commitment.”

Finnish and Swedish membership would more than double the length of Nato’s border with Russia, while reinforcing its defence of the Baltic states and Poland. Nato leaders will today begin two days of talks regarding the alliance’s most significant strategic overhaul since the end of the Cold War.

They are set to approve plans for more than 300,000 troops to be placed on high alert, a new strategy for guarding against a Russian invasion and further support for Ukraine.

The news came as Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv and former world champion boxer, said that joining Nato was a “main priority” for his country in the wake of Russia’s invasion.

Mr Klitschko, alongside brother Vladimir, said Ukraine would struggle to survive without genuine security guarantees from the Western military alliance.

Mr Biden will appeal to Western leaders to keep weapons flowing to Ukraine, as well as bolster Nato’s defences.

“The alliance is strengthening its posture, is dealing with the threats and strengthening our posture against the threats from the east, and challenges from the south. Nato is focused on all directions and domains, land, air and sea,” he said shortly after arriving in Madrid.

Speaking alongside Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s prime minister, Mr Biden set out plans to send two US destroyers to the Rota naval station in Spain.

“As I said before the war started, if Putin attacked Ukraine, the United States would enhance our force posture in Europe and respond to the reality of a new European security environment,” the US leader added.

As Nato’s expansion was confirmed, Mr Klitschko, Kyiv’s mayor, said membership of the military alliance would give Ukraine much-needed security guarantees.

In an interview on the fringes of the Madrid summit, he said: “Without the support of Nato and other democratic countries, it would be difficult to survive in this war against Russia.

“Nato membership is very important. Nato status [offers] collective safety. I listen to more and more voices at this summit regarding how Ukraine and Nato have to work more closely.

“We have to stop this war [and] keep Russian soldiers out of our territory. Nato status for us is the main priority.”

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, yesterday travelled to Tajikistan, leaving Russia for the first time since his invasion of Ukraine, to shore up his influence in Central Asia.

The Kremlin leader sees the region as vital to offset the economic sanctions and political isolation imposed in him by the West.

In a meeting with Emomali Rahmon, Tajikistan’s president, Mr Putin said that Russia was attempting to “build relations with the political forces that control the situation” in Afghanistan.

The Russian president will today join a summit of leaders from Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Iran as part of his diplomatic efforts in the region.

Moscow yesterday expanded its sanctions list to include Mr Biden’s wife and daughter, in “response to the everexpanding US sanctions against Russian political and public figures”.