Jul 05 Quran burning leaves Sweden torn between free speech and respecting minorities By Karl Ritter, Jan M. Olsen, Associated Press A Quran burning and requests to approve the destruction of more holy books have left Sweden torn between its commitment to free speech and respect for religious minorities. Continue reading
Jul 05 WATCH: Biden supports Sweden’s NATO bid, hosting prime minister at the White House By Aamer Madhani, Chris Megerian, Associated Press Sweden and neighbor Finland ended their longstanding policy of military nonalignment after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Both applied for NATO membership, but Sweden's admission has been held up by Turkey and Hungary. Continue reading
Apr 03 What are the last steps for Finland’s NATO membership? By Associated Press NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Finland will officially join the military alliance on Tuesday. The green light comes days after Turkey's parliament endorsed Finland's accession. Continue reading
Mar 27 Hungarian parliament approves Finland’s bid to join NATO By Justin Spike, Associated Press Hungary's parliament has approved Finland's bid to join NATO, ending months of delays and bringing the Nordic country one step closer to becoming a full member of the Western military alliance. Continue reading
Mar 23 Finnish president signs required laws to let country enter NATO By Jari Tanner, Associated Press The Finnish president has formally sealed the Nordic country's historic bid to join NATO by signing into laws the required legal amendments needed for membership in the military alliance. Continue reading
Mar 16 Hungary pressures EU by delaying Finland, Sweden NATO vote By Justin Spike, Associated Press Nearly a year after Sweden and Finland officially applied to join NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, their admission into the military alliance remains unresolved because two NATO members — Turkey and Hungary — still haven't approved their bids. Continue reading
Mar 09 NATO chief pushes for Finland and Sweden to become new members by July By Lorne Cook, Associated Press NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg is spearheading a new drive to see Finland and Sweden join the alliance's ranks soon. It's hoped that they will become members by the time Biden and his counterparts meet for their next summit in July. Continue reading
Mar 07 Delegation from Hungary supports Sweden’s NATO application By Jan M. Olsen, Associated Press A parliamentary delegation from Hungary says it supports Sweden's NATO membership bid after meeting the speaker of the Swedish parliament to iron out what Hungary's governing party has called "political disputes."… Continue reading
Feb 15 Sweden says its weapons will be a ‘significant’ boost for Ukraine By John Leicester, Associated Press Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also cautioned that future military aid would have to be balanced with Sweden's own defense needs as a would-be future member of the NATO military alliance. Continue reading
Jan 24 Finland’s foreign minister hints at joining NATO without Sweden By Jari Tanner, Karl Ritter, Associated Press Sweden and Finland rushed to apply for NATO membership following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, abandoning their long-standing non-alignment policy. Continue reading