Sweden has finally been able to join NATO after a final agreement to get the Scandinavian country into the agency was reached. Joe Biden, President of the United States welcomed the decision and showed his support and approval after the announcement. The historic event took place on the evening of the 74th annual leaders’ summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
However, Sweden’s joining had not been completely smooth, as Turkey had opposed the country’s entry for a period of time. Fortunately, a concession was made on Monday, July 10, and Turkey decided to retire its opposition toward the Scandinavian nation. The agreement was also applauded by Biden himself after he reportedly spoke with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about U.S. F-16s for Ankara.
The announcement was confirmed by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who affirmed that it was a “historic step” after the agreement was done between him, Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. This new join is set to strengthen all NATO allies. About the encouraging results, Joe Biden vocally celebrated the union and said:
“I welcome the statement issued by Türkiye, Sweden, and the NATO Secretary General this evening, including the commitment by President Erdogan to transmit the Accession Protocol for Sweden to Türkiye’s Grand National Assembly for swift ratification.”
He later reaffirmed his commitment to work with NATO allies in the European zone and corroborated his efforts to make the NATO alliance a strong one. “I stand ready to work with President Erdogan and Türkiye on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area,” he assured, then he continued saying “I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO Ally. And I thank Secretary General Stoltenberg for his steadfast leadership.”