Sweden ‘can count on the EU’, Michel says in Stockholm amid tensions with Turkey
European Council President Charles Michel visited Stockholm to meet Prime Minister Magdalena
Andersson on Wednesday to discuss the NATO applications of Sweden and Finland
amid tensions with Turkey, the TT press agency has reported.
Although it has been a week since Finland and Sweden handed over their NATO
applications to Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Turkey continues to oppose accession
for both.
“It comes at an important time for Europe. We respect and support your decision
[to join NATO]. It will make Europe more secure,” Michel said at a press conference in
Stockholm.
Andersson, for her part, said talks with Turkey were ongoing and that her staff would go
through Ankara’s list of requirements and “clear up some ambiguities.”
“There are some ambiguities about the fact that we sell arms and where our aid money
goes,” she said, referring to Turkey’s demands that Sweden and Finland abandon the
arms embargo the Nordic countries instated after Ankara’s incursion in Syria in 2018.
“We look forward to a positive resolution to discussions among NATO allies,” Michel said.
He concluded his speech by saying, “we are convinced that we must stay strong and
united against Russian aggression. I know that we can count on Sweden, and Sweden
can count on the European Union.”
On the same day, Finnish and Swedish delegations travelled to Ankara to meet with
Turkish authorities to find common ground ahead of the upcoming NATO summit in June.
Issues such as Ukraine, security in Europe, and the possibility of continuing to maintain
unity in the EU vis-à-vis Russia as food and energy prices soar were on the agenda during
Michel’s visit, who is expected to face a difficult task at next week’s extraordinary summit in
Brussels on 30-31 May.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has played down the prospects of
getting the go-ahead for a new sixth sanctions package to freeze imports and phase out
Russian oil as there is currently no consensus among EU countries.
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