US downplays Erdogan’s threat to freeze Sweden and Finland’s NATO bid

The statement came after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s threat to freeze the accession process of the Nordic countries by reinstating Turkey’s veto. During the daily press briefing, State Department spokesperson Ned Price was asked about Erdogan’s remarks. Price answered by emphasizing the unity of the alliance when it came to supporting the membership process of Sweden and Finland.

Heard from the 30 NATO allies in the room at that NATO summit in Madrid, support for the application and the ultimate accession of Finland and Sweden. There is strong consensus and support within the NATO alliance for their accession knowing that the accession of these two long-standing partners, these two great democracies will make the alliance stronger, will make it more effective and will contribute to the underlying mission of the NATO alliance.

The State Department spokesperson also reaffirmed the support of the US to the trilateral memorandum signed by Turkey, Finland, and Sweden.

Together Turkey, Finland, and Sweden they signed a trilateral memorandum in Madrid to set this process in motion. The United States will continue to work with those three countries to see to it that this accession process and ratification, here and around the world is as swift and efficient as it can possibly be.

As part of the trilateral memorandum, Ankara agreed to lift its veto in exchange for pledges on extraditions of persons deemed to be terrorists by Turkey, extra measures in counter-terrorism, and the removal of de facto and de jure embargoes on arms exports by Sweden and Finland. Turkey also signaled that the implementation of the accord would be the determining factor in the ratification of the membership bids of the two countries by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.