DefenceTalkAfter months of deadlock, Turkey’s president has approved Sweden’s NATO membership, paving the way for the Nordic country to follow its neighbour Finland into the security alliance. Here is the current state of Sweden’s bid, which was sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. When will Sweden join NATO? While President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s green light […]https://www.defencetalk.com/the-state-of-swedens-nato-bid-after-turkeys-approval-80024/

DefenceTalkWhile Finland Tuesday became a full NATO member, Sweden’s membership bid remains blocked, an “embarrassing” delay if short-lived but which could make Sweden more vulnerable and create problems within NATO if it drags on, experts told AFP. Finland became the 31st member of the military alliance after securing the last two ratifications needed from Hungary […]https://www.defencetalk.com/long-nato-delay-spells-trouble-for-sweden-and-alliance-experts-80002/

DefenceTalkFinland, which has one of Europe’s longest borders with Russia, on Tuesday kicks off a parliamentary debate aimed at accelerating the country’s bid to join NATO, increasing the likelihood it will leave neighbor and military partner Sweden behind. Spooked by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden dropped their decades-long policies of military non-alignment and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/finland-moves-closer-to-joining-nato-without-sweden-79901/

DefenceTalkA majority of Finns want to go ahead and join NATO even if Sweden’s membership is delayed, a poll suggested Thursday, after Turkey said it could accept Finland without Sweden. More than half of respondents, 53 percent, replied negatively when asked “whether Finland should wait for Sweden” even “if it takes longer to ratify Sweden’s […]https://www.defencetalk.com/majority-of-finns-want-to-join-nato-before-sweden-poll-79837/

DefenceTalkHungary accused Sweden of “stupidity” Tuesday over an extremist incident in Stockholm that led Turkey to suspend NATO accession talks with the Nordic country and its neighbor Finland. Turkey and Hungary remain the only members of the 30-nation Western defence alliance to have failed to ratify the membership bids by Sweden and Finland. But a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/hungary-blasts-swedens-stupidity-on-nato-row-with-turkey-79809/

DefenceTalkTurkey on Tuesday postponed NATO accession talks with Sweden and Finland, further denting the Nordic neighbors’ hopes of joining the Western defence alliance after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ankara announced its decision one day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at Sweden for allowing weekend protests that included the burning of the Koran […]https://www.defencetalk.com/turkey-postpones-nato-talks-with-sweden-finland-79745/

DefenceTalkTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Sweden on Monday that it should not expect his backing to join NATO following the burning of the Koran outside Ankara’s embassy in Stockholm. Erdogan’s furious comments further distanced the prospects of Sweden and Finland joining the Western defence alliance before Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary polls in May. Turkey […]https://www.defencetalk.com/erdogan-warns-sweden-on-nato-after-koran-burning-79733/

DefenceTalkSweden said Wednesday it would provide Ukraine with military and humanitarian aid worth more than $350 million to help it cope with the upcoming winter. Stockholm will contribute military aid worth some three billion kronor ($286 million) plus additional humanitarian aid of 720 million kronor ($69 million), the government said. The military aid will include […]https://www.defencetalk.com/sweden-to-send-military-humanitarian-aid-to-ukraine-79613/

DefenceTalkSweden’s new prime minister said Tuesday he was open to allowing nuclear weapons on Swedish soil once the country becomes a NATO member, a turnaround from the previous government’s stance. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who took over the reins in Sweden two weeks ago, was speaking in Helsinki at a press conference with his Finnish […]https://www.defencetalk.com/new-swedish-pm-says-open-to-nukes-under-nato-79586/

DefenceTalkSweden announced on Friday it had reauthorized exports of war materials to Turkey in an apparently significant concession to Ankara, which is threatening to block the Nordic country’s NATO membership. Ankara requested the lifting of the restrictions — which were introduced in 2019 following a Turkish offensive in northeastern Syria — after Sweden applied to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/sweden-allows-military-exports-to-turkey-after-nato-application-79456/