Blinken confident in Finland, Sweden accession to NATO

By MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States is confident that Finland and Sweden will be approved soon for membership in NATO despite ratification delays in allies Turkey and Hungary. After meeting his Finnish and Swedish counterparts on Thursday, Blinken said both countries had proved their bona fides to join the alliance, notably in joining NATO in providing support to Ukraine to counter Russia’s invasion. Turkey and Hungary are the only two of NATO’s 30 members to not yet have ratified Finland and Sweden’s accession. But Blinken said he believed Turkey’s concerns, notably with Sweden over support for Kurdish groups, would be overcome in the near future. Sweden this week extradited a convicted member of the Kurdish PKK militant group to Turkey.