‘Increased’ likelihood Finland joins Nato before Sweden: PM

STOCKHOLM: Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Tuesday the likelihood that Finland would join Nato before Sweden had “increased” as Stockholm´s bid continues to face stiff opposition from Ankara.

Kristersson told reporters it had become increasingly clear in recent weeks that Turkiye was ready to ratify Finland´s bid. “We have no confirmation that will be the case, but we think that the overall assessment after many conversations recently is that the likelihood of this has increased,” Kristersson said at a press conference. Both countries have said they hope to be members by the Nato summit in Vilnius in July.

Finland and Sweden dropped their decades-long policies of military non-alignment and applied to join the alliance last May in the wake of Moscow´s invasion of Ukraine.