US President Joe Biden "remains optimistic" that Sweden's bid to join the NATO alliance will be approved, the White House said Friday.
The US has "been encouraging" dialogue between Stockholm and Ankara over Sweden's accession process "to continue," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
"As the president has said, he's confident that the two nations will be able to come to an accord, and we'll be able to welcome Sweden as the 32nd ally in NATO," he said.
"I couldn't begin right now to give you like a timeframe of what that's going to look like, when and under what circumstances, but the fact that they're still talking is a good thing," he added.
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Biden 'remains optimistic' on Sweden's NATO bid: White House
US President Joe Biden has said he remains "optimistic" that Sweden's bid to join the NATO alliance will be approved, despite opposition from Turkey.
The White House said on Friday that Biden had spoken to Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and "reaffirmed his strong support for Sweden's membership in NATO."
"The President expressed his confidence that the accession process will move forward quickly and smoothly," the White House said in a statement.
Turkey has raised objections to Sweden's membership, citing its alleged support for Kurdish militants. However, the White House said that Biden and Andersson had discussed "ways to address Turkey's concerns."
"The President and Prime Minister agreed that they would continue to work together to resolve any outstanding issues," the White House said.
Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO in May, in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The two countries have long been non-aligned, but they decided to seek NATO membership after Russia's attack on Ukraine.
NATO's 30 members must unanimously approve any new member. Turkey's objections have raised concerns that Sweden's and Finland's accession to NATO could be delayed.
However, the White House said that Biden remains "optimistic" that Sweden's bid will be approved.
"The President believes that Sweden's membership in NATO would make the alliance stronger and more secure," the White House said.
Background on Sweden's NATO membership
Sweden has a long history of neutrality, dating back to the Napoleonic Wars. The country remained neutral during World War I and World War II.
However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has shaken Sweden's commitment to neutrality. In May, Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO.
NATO is a military alliance of 30 countries based in Europe and North America. The alliance was founded in 1949 to counter the threat of the Soviet Union.
Membership in NATO would give Sweden access to NATO's military resources and would deter Russia from attacking Sweden.
Conclusion
The White House's statement that Biden remains "optimistic" about Sweden's NATO bid is a sign that the United States is committed to supporting Sweden's membership.
However, Turkey's objections could delay Sweden's accession to NATO. It remains to be seen whether the two countries will be able to resolve their differences and allow Sweden to join the alliance.
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