“Their decision to move away from neutrality, and the tradition of neutrality, to join the NATO alliance is going to make us stronger and more secure, and NATO stronger,” Biden said at the start of the NATO summit in Madrid on Wednesday. “We are sending an unmistakable message in my view … that NATO is strong, united and the steps we are taking during this summit are going to further augment our collective strength.”
Biden said the two Scandinavian countries’ expected accession was a sign that Putin’s aims of containing NATO’s spread eastward had backfired.
“I said Putin was looking for the ‘Finlandization’ of Europe. He’s going to get the ‘NATOization’ of Europe, and that is exactly what he did not want, that’s exactly what needs to be done to guarantee security for Europe. And I think it’s necessary,” he said.
The efforts to bring Finland and Sweden into NATO were both the work of months of steady diplomacy and, over the past days, an intensive flurry of phone calls and meetings between top officials.
The process was described by senior US and European officials.
Heading into this week’s summit, few of those officials believed the issues blocking the two Scandinavian countries’ accession would be resolved by the time leaders departed Madrid. Instead, they had resigned themselves to making progress on an issue they believed could extend months longer.
Instead, a marathon set of meetings, a strategically timed phone call from Biden to Erdoğan and a last-minute sign off resulted in the path being cleared for NATO’s newest members. In the end, Biden dangled the prospect of a formal meeting with Erdoğan on the margins of this week’s summit as he pushed to get the plan over the finish line.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it is clear why Finland and Sweden would consider abandoning their longtime security postures to join NATO. But in December, before Russian tanks began rolling into Ukraine, the prospect was more far-fetched.“
Comment: I know Turks. Erdogan got his pound of flesh for this.
Inside Biden’s successful six-month bid to expand NATO – CNNPolitics
We should see tomorrow. Further abandonment of the Kurds in Syria? The state of the economy leaves Erdogan vulnerable. Economic help on the way?
Notfakebot
“Further abandonment of the Kurds in Syria? ” Everywhere.
Extraordinary if he got the F-35 parts. If so it likely wouldn’t be made public. They did mention F-16s in the standard media.
Erdogan pound of flesh, no idea if it’s accurate but seems plausible.
https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1541853998138986497
Yeah! More foreign obligations for America. What do we get out of it besides bills?
Erdogan played his hand skilfully, though I don’t think he has managed to win with it. Such a turn of events has certainly weakened his position with the Russians, as they will be more likely to come down solidly in support of the Syrian Arab army in resisting the Turkish offensive.
As for any “anti-terror” wins, most certainly new amalgamations of letters of active Kurdish groups in Finland/Sweden will allow them to ignore the letter of any agreement once they are firmly brought into NATO. Of course the Turks know this, the biggest win for them probably relates to the F-16, and the USA will happily deliver it if they can get a few more Russian jets shot down.
In response, I wouldn’t be surprised if a large number of captured NATO anti-tank weapons in Ukraine get funnelled into the hands the SDF or SAR, by the Russians. That will certainly play to Erdogan’s paranoia of the West wanting him to fail.
With the ravings of the CHP leader about taking on Israel/Greece/Syria, Erdogan will be forced into more military adventures to maintain the support of Turkish nationalists…
Here comes 30 Turkish Lira to the dollar… Probably by March of next year.
After Ukraine, Turkey will be the next failed state in the black sea region.
“In response, I wouldn’t be surprised if a large number of captured NATO anti-tank weapons in Ukraine get funnelled into the hands the SDF or SAR, by the Russians. ”
There is substance in this remark…
The Russians have excellent anti-tank weapons which they directly benefit the Syrian army and air force. No need to direct them to something that would add to the logistics (weapon service and maintenance). So donations are unlikely.
The Kurds are getting some of these Russian weapons, probably through the black market. But they are terribly short of anti-aircraft weapons. To have some, for them, would make a very big difference…
(The US is supplying weapons to the Kurds, strictly for the purpose of fighting Daesh/Isis, so serious control. Isis doesn’t have (any more) tanks and aircrafts).
Seljuks, Ottomans have been around since 1300. Turkey will persist in some capacity. My guess is it will continue to press against the Arabs and Persians for leadership of the Islamic world. Some things change, and some …
Maybe Erdogan and Mike Flynn will make another try at kidnapping that critic of his from the Poconos: https://www.nj.com/opinion/2018/10/spy_vs_spy_in_turkey_and_in_the_poconos_mulshine.html
I notice the raindeer in the caption photo is missing half a rack. Seems appropriate.
We get Finland and Sweden, China gets Russia…not a fair trade IMHO.
Ate some meat from the picture while visiting family in Minnesota, really good!
Biden continues the tradition.
Every President, Clinton, GWB, Obama, Trump, and now Biden, have expanded NATO. This should be done along with a tree lighting ceremony. NATO expansion is benign because it is a ‘defensive alliance’, correct? Just tell that to Serbia and Libya.
Can’t celebrate expansion of NATO, as long as they expect the US to do all the heavy lifting. Stand and deliver, non-US NATO members.
Come defend our southern US borders, if you want to prove your mutual assistance mettle. Offer both your troops and weapons.
We no longer support your Europe defense demands, and our own US Biden open border incursions which create open-ended, no limit social support demands.
An exercise in cynicism. They will do the deal and be admitted to NATO. Then neither Sweden nor Finland will honor their pledges to Turkey, but their membership will be a fait accompli.