US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken met today with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at Norrbotten’s air flotilla in Luleå. During a joint press conference, Blinken urged Turkey and Hungary to approve Sweden’s NATO application.
– There is no reason to wait, he says.
Antony Blinken is on a two-day visit to Sweden for a trade meeting with the EU. During Tuesday, the American foreign minister has a separate meeting with Ulf Kristersson and foreign minister Tobias Billström at the F21 air flotilla.
Ulf Kristersson says that northern Sweden is a strategically important place, and would be of great importance to NATO when Sweden joins.
– The Russian border is six and a half hours’ drive from here, he says.
Sweden prioritizes helping Ukraine, Ulf Kristersson says he is grateful and impressed by the US’s leadership and commitment to the issue. Antony Blinken also expresses his gratitude for Sweden.
– Sweden and the USA are working more closely than ever before, says Antony Blinken.
Cooperation crucial to Russia’s failure
– The work we have done in the last two years, including export controls, has been decisive for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continuing to be a strategic failure, says Antony Blinken.
Antony Blinken says that Sweden has time and again proven its commitment to NATO, and that the US should continue to work for Sweden’s entry into NATO before the summit in Vilnius.
– The USA could not wish for a closer friend, and soon, a closer ally, than Sweden, says Blinken.
The call to Turkey and Hungary
During the media’s question and answer session, Antony Blinken says that he believes that Sweden can become a member of NATO within the coming weeks.
– We look forward to the process being completed in the coming weeks. We have no doubt that it can happen.
– We urge both Turkey and Hungary to ratify Sweden’s application as soon as possible. There is no reason to wait. Sweden is ready now, says Blinken.
“Will help us if we are attacked”
TV4’s foreign commentator Elisabet Frerot says that Antony Blinken is very clear when it comes to Sweden’s NATO application.
– The US believes that Sweden has fulfilled the requirements that Turkey has set in the agreements with Sweden and Finland, she says.
Another important thing that Blinken pointed out, according to Frerot, was that he repeated Sweden’s security assurance.
– They will help us with our security problems if we are attacked, regardless of whether the membership is in port or not.
May 30–31, the EU and US trade and technology councils will meet in Luleå. The Trade and Technology Council (TTC) was launched in June 2021 and is intended to strategize on topics such as trade, economics and technology issues globally.
On the US side, Foreign Minister Antony Blinken, Trade Minister Katherin Tai and Economic Affairs Minister Gina Raimondo are participating. From the EU side, there is the EU Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis, the Commissioner for Competitiveness, Margrethe Vestager, and the EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton. Representatives from the Swedish government are Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Foreign Minister Tobias Billström, Foreign Trade Minister Johan Forssell and Energy and Industry Minister Ebba Busch.
The meeting is the fourth in a row after having previously gathered in Pittsburgh, Washington and Paris every six months.
Source: TT