Biden to host Swedish PM for talks on Nato and Ukraine

Meeting at White House comes as Sweden faces renewed criticism from Turkish president

Sweden's Prime MInister Ulf Kristersson will visit Washington later this month, the White House has announced. AFP

US President Joe Biden will host Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson next week to talk about transatlantic security cooperation and the war in Ukraine, the White House said Saturday.

The two leaders "will review our growing security cooperation and reaffirm their view that Sweden should join Nato as soon as possible," the White House said in a statement about the Wednesday meeting.

Sweden asked to join Nato in May 2022, three months after Russia invaded Ukraine, but its membership bid, which must be ratified by all 31 member states, has been blocked by Turkey and Hungary.

Western officials had hoped to formally welcome Sweden into the bloc by the time a Nato summit is held in Lithuania on July 11-12.

But earlier this week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced Sweden for allowing a protest during which a man burned pages from the Quran, further clouding the Nordic nation's chances of quickly joining the military alliance.

"I am delighted that President Biden is inviting us to a meeting next week, before the Nato summit in Vilnius the following week," Mr Kristersson said in a statement. "The focus of the visit will be on Sweden's Nato accession."

The White House said Mr Biden and Mr Kristersson will also "discuss our shared commitment to supporting Ukraine in the face of Russia's brutal war of aggression."

They will additionally talk about transatlantic coordination on China, climate change and emerging technologies.

A solemn welcoming ceremony of US soldiers at Adazi military base, Latvia, on February 25, 2022. More than 300 soldiers of the 173rd Air Force Brigade arrived to demonstrate the US commitment to defend Nato allies and strengthen Latvia's defence capabilities following Russia's military operation in Ukraine. EPA

US paratroopers in Ukraine's western Lviv region during a Nato-sponsored training exercise in 2020. AP

A US military aircraft takes off at the US Air Base Ramstein, in Landstuhl, Germany, on February 25. US President Joe Biden February 24 authorised the deployment of further armed forces to Germany as part of Nato's response to Russia's military aggression on Ukraine. EPA

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on February 25. EPA

A convoy of British armoured vehicles of the Royal Welsh Battlegroup on the way to Estonia, driving through Liepupe, Latvia, on February 25. British troops and equipment are heading to Estonia as part of the UK's contribution to strengthen Nato's uplift to Eastern Europe. EPA

Protesters outside a Nato leaders virtual summit in Brussels on February 25. AP

A US Air Force F-35 Lightning II aircraft assigned to the 34th Fighter Squadron receives fuel from a KC-10 Extender aircraft over Poland on February 24. US Air Force/Reuters

US military personnel check an Apache attack helicopter AH-64 during a technical stop on the tarmac at Traian Vuia International Airport in Timisoara, Romania, on February 24. EPA

German soldiers of the Nato enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) Battalion Battle Group in Lithuania attend a ceremony during a visit of German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht to Rukla Military Base, Lithuania, on February 22. EPA

Western officials had hoped Erdogan would soften his position on Sweden's bid to join Nato after he secured a hard-fought reelection in May.

Western allies and Stockholm have insisted that Sweden has met the terms of a deal agreed with Ankara last year.

That accord includes a commitment to crack down on opposition Kurdish movements, such as the Kurdistan Workers' Party PKK, blacklisted by Ankara which considers them "terrorist" groups.

Top diplomats from Turkey and Sweden will meet on Thursday, the day after Mr Kristersson's White House visit, at Nato headquarters in Brussels for talks on Stockholm's bid to join the alliance.

Turkey dropped objections to Sweden's Nordic neighbour Finland joining earlier in the year and Helsinki became a Nato member in April.

Meanwhile, Hungary's parliament had been expected to vote on Sweden's bid by the end of its "extraordinary summer session" on July 7, but did not list it as an order of business for the session.