President Biden welcomed the leaders of Sweden and Finland to the White House on Thursday, as he hailed the applications of the once-neutral countries to join NATO in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Mr. Biden greeted Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden and President Sauli Niinistö of Finland at the White House with handshakes and laughter as they met for trilateral conversations on the NATO mutual defense pact as well as broader European security concerns. His administration has professed optimism for their applications to join the alliance, which would mark a significant embarrassment to Russia, despite continued opposition from Turkey.
"I am proud to assure them that they have the full, total, complete backing of the United States of America," he added. Because the pact must reach consensus on decisions, each of its NATO's 30 member countries has the power to veto a membership bid. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a Thursday video that he remains opposed to the two countries joining the alliance.
Turkey also accuses Sweden and Finland of harboring the followers of Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based Muslim cleric whom the Turkish government blames for a 2016 military coup attempt.
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