(VOVWORLD) - US President Joe Biden expressed a desire to see Sweden join NATO “as soon as possible” in a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, the White House said on Sunday.
 US President Joe Biden. (Photo: REUTERS) |
Turkey, along with Hungary, has been a stumbling block to Sweden’s bid, which requires unanimous approval by all NATO members.
Erdogan told Biden that Stockholm has taken steps in the right direction for Ankara to ratify its bid, referring to an anti-terrorism law, but said these steps were not useful as Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) supporters continued to hold demonstrations in Sweden, the Turkish presidency’s communications directorate said separately on Sunday.
The leaders agreed to meet face-to-face in Vilnius, Lithuania, at an upcoming NATO summit and discuss bilateral relations and regional issues in detail, the Turkish presidency also said.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he would convene a meeting between Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Vilnius on Monday.
In related news, during a CNN interview previewing his trip to Britain, which began Monday, Biden urged caution for now on Ukraine's drive to join NATO, saying the alliance could get drawn into the conflict with Russia due to NATO's mutual defense pact.
"I don't think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment," he said.