Sweden still hopes to become a NATO member before the alliance’s summit in Vilnius in July, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Björstrom said on May 26.
«[Немає] plan B or something like that. Plan B is plan A, which is full membership in NATO,” the agency quoted him as saying Reuters.
Concerned a full-scale Russian invasion Sweden and Finland submitted to Ukraine application for NATO membership in May 2022. Almost a year later, on April 4, 2023, Finland officially became a member of NATO. Sweden is still awaiting ratification from Turkey and Hungary.
The Turkish leadership continues to accuse Sweden of insufficiently fighting “terrorist organizations”, among which Ankara counts the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
Budapest is concerned about Swedish statements regarding the rule of law and corruption in Hungary.
Washington is encouraging NATO allies Turkey and Hungary to ratify Sweden’s accession as soon as possible. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also recently said that the German government remains hopeful that Sweden will join the alliance before the summit in Lithuania.