As Turkey continues to obstruct Sweden, Jens Stoltenberg claims that the'main question' about the Nordic countries joining together is not relevant.
In light of tensions between Finland and Sweden and Turkey, which has refused to ratify the Nordic countries' membership bids, NATO's secretary-general has stated that it is more crucial that Finland and Sweden join the military alliance rapidly than simultaneously.
Jens Stoltenberg stated that the "primary concern is not whether Finland and Sweden are confirmed together" before a meeting of NATO defence ministers on Tuesday in Brussels.
The primary concern, he told reporters, is getting them both confirmed as full members as quickly as feasible.
In the aftermath of Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine in February of last year, the two nations abandoned their decades-long non-alignment and asked to join NATO. Stoltenberg's remarks represented the first official admission by NATO that the two nations may join the organisation independently.
Except for Hungary and Turkey, which are commonly seen as the biggest obstacles to their joining, all 30 of the member nations of the transatlantic alliance have ratified their individual membership bids.
Any country wishing to join must have unanimous consent.
Turkish opposition to Sweden’s bid
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, has said that his nation could endorse Finland's application despite continuing to oppose Sweden's.
At the start of February, he told Turkish lawmakers, "Our attitude is favourable on Finland, but it is not positive on Sweden."
The Swedish government has come under fire from Ankara for allegedly showing too much tolerance for groups that it views as "terrorist" or "existential dangers," especially Kurdish organisations.
Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, stated earlier this month that Ankara had less issues with Finland joining NATO.
The idea of Nordic inclusion in NATO may be a vote-winner in Turkey, which is having elections this year. Erdogan has vented his resentment in recent weeks at a number of distinct protests in the city of Sweden.
77.105 SRY