Biden Voices Support for Sweden's NATO Bid Ahead of Key Summit

Facts

• On Wednesday, US Pres. Joe Biden welcomed Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson to the White House, as he once again vocalized support for the Scandinavian state's potential accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO).¹
• Sweden ended its over 200-year tradition of military non-alignment by applying to become a NATO member alongside Finland following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Finland was admitted in April this year, while Sweden has faced objections from Hungary and Turkey, with NATO requiring unanimous member approval for expansion.²
• Turkey has opposed Sweden's ratification over allegations that it's sheltering members of groups such as the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Turkey considers a terrorist group. Hungary has indicated that it will follow Turkey's lead on the matter, with the latest NATO summit set to start next Tuesday in Vilnius, Lithuania.³
• During public remarks in the Oval Office, Biden described Kristersson as a "valued friend," while the PM responded that Sweden "highly appreciate[d]" Biden's "strong support." During their private meeting, the two were believed to have discussed security, Russia's war in Ukraine, and China.⁴
• Biden claimed that he was "anxiously looking forward" to the country's acceptance, as Kristersson described the Vilnius summit as an "appropriate time" for Sweden's accession. However, the Swedish PM acknowledged that "only Turkey can make Turkey's decisions," with Ankara rebuking "use of time pressure."⁵
• In June 2022, both Sweden and Finland signed a trilateral memorandum with Turkey to help resolve their objections. However, Turkey critiqued the applicant over two recent instances of Quran burning in Sweden, with Turkish Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stating that Islamophobia and terrorism "are our red line."⁶

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²Associated Press, ³Guardian, ⁴PBS NewsHour, ⁵Yahoo Finance, and ⁶Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Bloomberg. For the sake of Western unity and strength, Hungary and Turkey must drop their vetoes and allow Sweden to become a member of NATO. Sweden has accepted a plethora of Turkish demands, and if the two states continue to oppose Sweden's accession, both Turkey's and Hungary's loyalty to the organization will be drawn into question.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Daily Sabah. Turkey, having sided with the Western bloc in the aftermath of WWII, has become an important NATO member and provides a key security cushion in the Black Sea. In return, Turkey rightfully conditions Sweden's ratification on the ending of Islamophobia and PKK activities in the state. Sweden has not achieved this, and the US is racing against time to avoid embarrassment at the next summit.

Predictions