Rebutting Turkey, Biden lauds NATO bids of Sweden, Finland

WASHINGTON » Flanked by the leaders of Finland and Sweden, President Joe Biden forcefully supported their applications to join NATO on Thursday as Russia’s war in the heart of Europe challenges the continent’s security. The U.S. president rejected Turkey’s opposition, insisting the two countries “meet every NATO requirement and then some.”

Biden walked to a White House Rose Garden appearance with his hands on the shoulders of Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden and President Sauli Niinistö of Finland for an event designed to emphasize U.S. backing of their NATO candidacies.

The firm show of support was targeted not only at Russia, but also Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who earlier emphasized his opposition to the two countries joining the military alliance. Erdogan’s new comments added to uncertainty about whether he is determined to derail the expansion, which needs the unanimous support of all 30 NATO members, or whether he is using the threat to gain concessions from the two nations as well as the United States.

Biden, in a notable pledge, said the U.S. and allies would “deter and confront any aggression while Finland and Sweden are in this accession process.”

Once-neutral Finland and Sweden are abandoning what in Sweden’s case has been 200 years of military non-alignment, driven to join NATO’S mutual defense pact in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ongoing war there.

Acceptance of the countries would bring into the alliance two well-equipped, modern militaries on Russia’s doorstep. It would also serve as a powerful and lasting rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the consequences of his invasion.

The two leaders also visited the Capitol and met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who said she was honored to “offer the fullest support and endorsement to your request to be part of NATO, the greatest defense alliance in the history of the world. “

Separately, the Senate approved $40 billion in fresh economic and military aid for Ukraine, sending the bill to Biden for his signature.

At the White House, Prime Minister Andersson said: “Russia’s full-scale aggression against a sovereign and democratic neighbor ... was a watershed moment for Sweden. And my government has come to the conclusion that the security of the Swedish people will be best protected within the NATO alliance.”

Not only are Sweden and Finland fully qualified, she said, but “having two new NATO members in the high north will enhance the security of our alliance.”

Even as the three leaders were gathering, however, Turkish President Erdogan was hardening his public stand against the expansion effort. He accused the two countries — as he often does the U.S. and Western nations in general — of being too receptive to Turkish Kurdish groups that Erdogan calls terrorists.