NATO SUMMIT EXPANSION

Why did Turkey a change its mind on Sweden’s NATO membership at this year’s summit? The alliance is set to expand as it faces new security challenges. So how will this change the geopolitical landscape in Europe? This is inside story.

the world’s top leaders are discussing the future of NATO. After repeatedly blocking Sweden’s membership, Turkey says it’s now ready to support it. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has served to strengthen the alliance that’s frustrating Moscow’s territorial expansion and attempts to broaden its influence.

So how is NATO changing the power dynamic across Europe? And how will President Vladimir Putin respond? We’ll explore these issues with our guests in a moment.

The war in Ukraine has changed NATO’s relevance, particularly as European governments seek greater security. Sweden’s efforts to join the military alliance have been blocked by Turkey for more than a year, but now President Regent Tayyib Erdogan.

Sweden’s NATO Membership?

We will open the way for Sweden, just as we did for Finland. I expressed this to President Joe Biden and I have to underline it again here. We expect a visit from President Vladimir Putin next month. If this visit to Turkey it takes place, we will also discuss the Black Sea grain deal.The US has announced that it tends to send dozens of new F16 fighter jets to Turkey, a move it’s previously held off on.

Washington says all this is strengthening the military alliance.Soon we will be able to say that since this war began, since Russia invaded Ukraine, we have welcome will have welcomed 2 new members of NATO with strong militaries expanding both the size and the strength of the alliance.Ukraine says it has earned the right to join NATO by fighting a fight Europe has sought to avoid.

But the alliance considers an attack on one member as an attack on all, and U.S. President Joe Biden says Ukraine joining NATO now could have disastrous consequences. Moscow has warned it’s monitoring the summit carefully.

Nature welcomes Finland and Sweden, but not Ukraine. Why? This is a question that should be addressed. We see multi billion dollar aid packages given to Ukraine by NATO states. So why the hesitation to joining the alliance?

Up until a few years ago, NATO was seen by many as a defunct alliance lacking purpose. But now it appears to be reshaping geopolitics in Europe and beyond. Katia Lopez Odayan for Inside Story.All right. For more on all this, I’m joined by our guests. In Washington, DC is Robert Hunter, former U.S. ambassador to NATO and senior fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University in Brussels is Mats Engstrom, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Discussing The Futuer Of NATO

And in Istanbul is Sinan Ugan, former Turkish diplomat and senior fellow at Carnegie Europe. A warm welcome to you all, and thanks so much for joining us today on Inside Story. Robert, let me start with you today.

How important is it that NATO display unity at this summit? And how much unity is there right now amongst NATO members? Well, that’s the nature of the summit, to show unity, particularly to Mr. Putin in Moscow.And in fact, it’s to try to make sure that all the allies are indeed on the same page when it comes to confronting what Mr. Putin is doing with his war in Ukraine.

That includes getting each of the allies to meet the socalled target goal of 2% of gross domestic product spent on defense, which is key to three well, actually, for next year.That that’s the point.

There is going to be unity on that. There are going to be disagreements, and the basic disagreement is the point at which Ukraine will be asked to join NATO. It’s not going to happen now, and frankly, I don’t think it’s ever going to happen. But Mr. Zelensky of of Ukraine is pushing very hard to get the strongest commitment he possibly can.

Matt How much has the war in Ukraine changed NATO’s relevance? And has Russia’s invasion of Ukraine only served to strengthen the alliance? Well, I think in many ways the Western unity over Ukraine and the supporting Ukraine against its aggression is impressive.

It has been not discussion before on the divisions both within NATO and within the European Union, but.So far there has been an impressive unity and in that sense I think it has also strengthened.

They do seen on After repeatedly blocking Sweden’s membership, Turkey now says that it’s ready to support it. Why? Why the change in the decision? What did Turkey get in return? Fundamentally, 2 things. One, an explicit commitment by Sweden.

To be more disciplined regarding the monitoring and prevention of the recruitment, fundraising activities of terrorist linked entities in Sweden, and yesterday the MOU there was signed also sets up a bilateral mechanism between Turkey and Sweden to monitor this.

So this is 1 clear area where things have changed from the Turkish perspective. And the second one, which will become perhaps more concrete in coming days, is a US commitment to deliver the the package of F sixteens

which Turkey had asked until the video summit. There was no firm commitment on the on the side of the US administration.Claiming that fundamentally it’s up to Congress to approve this. But now it seems that things have also changed and that the US administration has told Turkish side that this transaction will go through and this is what has essentially led to the agreement in Williams.