Image source: topwar.ru
Finland can join NATO on its own, Sweden has suspended the process of joining the alliance for an "indefinite time". The reason for this decision was Turkey's reaction to the burning of the Koran by right-wing extremist Rasmus Paludan and criticism of the Turkish leader. According to Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom, Stockholm will try to achieve positive decisions on this topic in the near future.
Sweden has suspended joining NATO, Finland continues the process and, most likely, will join the alliance on its own. The Swedish government still hopes to solve the problem with Turkey as soon as possible and join the bloc before the summer of this year. But Ankara does not think so, the recent events with the burning of the Koran and public insults of the Turkish president have greatly angered Erdogan, who has already ruled out supporting Sweden's application to NATO. The Swedes think they will still persuade the Turks.
- said the Swedish minister.
In Stockholm, they emphasize that they have almost fulfilled all the requirements of Turkey and Ankara is simply obliged to support Sweden's application, despite the scandal that has flared up, all this should happen at the summit in Vilnius, which is scheduled for July this year.
Sweden applied to join NATO in May 2022 together with Finland. As Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated at the time, "the process will not take much time." However, it all came down to Turkey, which, as it turned out, has a lot of questions for these two countries. And if the Finns somehow managed to settle their differences with Ankara, the Swedes did not. And the latest antics with the burning of the Koran and insulting the Prophet Muhammad, can make the process of Sweden's accession to NATO very long.
