Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister of SwedenGetty
The Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, will meet this Wednesday with the President of the United States, Joe Biden, to address the thorny question of his country’s entry into NATO.complicated by an even more forceful Turkish veto after an individual burned a copy of the Koran in a protest authorized by the Stockholm Police.
The burning of a copy of the Koran has once again strained relations between Sweden and Türkiyewhich refuses to admit the Swedish entry into the Atlantic Alliance by accusing the Scandinavian country of harboring members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Ankara understands as a terrorist organization.
The White House confirmed over the weekend that “President Biden and Prime Minister Kristersson will review the increasing bilateral security cooperation and reaffirm their joint view that Sweden should join NATO as soon as possible.”
Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is traveling to Washington ahead of next week’s NATO summit. Can the US settle the dispute with Turkey? https://t.co/CrgLtLAohn
— Handelsblatt (@handelsblatt) July 5, 2023
The two leaders will also discuss their joint commitment to support Ukraine “in the face of Russia’s brutal war of aggression,” as well as their mutual support for “closer transatlantic coordination on the PRC.” In addition, Biden and Kristersson will also discuss their collective efforts “to address climate change and new and emerging technologies.”
