The President of the United States, Joe Biden, will today (Thursday) host the Prime Minister of Sweden, Magdalena Anderson, and the President of Finland, Sauli Ninista, in the capital, Washington. After Helsinki and Stockholm approved the move.
The request to join comes, of course, against the background of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24.
The invasion forced a recalculation of Europe's ground defense strategy.
Now a number of countries, mainly Moscow's neighbors, feel militarily threatened and as a result are interested in joining the alliance.
At the same time, responses in favor of expanding the defense alliance continue to arrive as this morning, the Italian representative to NATO publicly announced its support for: "The request for NATO membership is a clear response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its threat to peace and security. Italy supports Finland and Sweden's decision.
🇮🇹 PM #Draghi met w / 🇫🇮 PM @Marinsanna: The request for @NATO membership is a clear response to the Russian invasion in #Ukraine & the threat it poses to peace & security.
Italy strongly supports &'s & 🇸🇪's decision.
@Palazzo_Chigi @NATO @NATOpress @FinMissionNATO @SwedenNato https://t.co/JjHvEYPpdv
- 🇮🇹 Italy at NATO (@ItalyatNATO) May 18, 2022
However, Turkey announced yesterday that it will not support Sweden and Finland joining NATO as long as its security demands are not met.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Photo: Reuters
Turkish demands are at least temporarily thwarting the accession of Sweden and Finland to the alliance, as unanimous agreement is required from the 30 member states of the organization, so each has a veto.
Biden is likely to be discussed by Ninista and Anderson during their meeting.
Meanwhile, the finance ministers of the G7 countries will examine in the next two days ways to assist Ukraine in efforts to rehabilitate the ruined country ahead of the post-war day.
Kiev estimates its budgetary needs for the day-to-day operation of the administration around five billion dollars every month.
Recall that since the war began in Ukraine, Washington has led the relief efforts in the form of advanced weapons and humanitarian aid that flows to Kiev continuously, yet adhered to a policy of direct non-intervention on the ground, ie without the presence of troops.
But at the moment the fighting is still going on.
The focus of events is in the Donbas region and Mariupol.
There, a group of 700 Ukrainian soldiers who had been fortified inside an industrial compound for weeks, surrendered to Russian military forces, according to media reports in Moscow.
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
If you found an error in the article, we'll be happy for you to share it with us
