We aren't really scared of Russia anymore, they've exposed themselves as incompetent and weak, plus already wasted all their ammo on getting four poor regions in eastern Ukraine which they struggle to hold. "Firstly, Hungary is the most pro-Turkey EU member state, they have stood up for Erdogan on a number of issues, they are in favour of Turkish EU accession, and they have stressed that Turkey's concerns about Swedish and Finnish NATO membership should be taken into account," he told Euronews. "Hungary gives nothing for free", he added, "it shows that it has leverage in the EU, and is even willing to link a NATO-related decision to EU processes". hungary finland, sweden nato. Szijjarto said the government has done its job by submitting the relevant bill to parliament. STOCKHOLM :Finland's president Sauli Niinisto said on Wednesday he was counting on Hungary to ratify the Nordic country's NATO application after he had talked on the . The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. Hungary and Turkey are the only two not to have done so. Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin today called on Hungary and Turkey to approve her country's and neighbouring Sweden's bids to join NATO. "As the autumn session ends by mid-December, there is a good chance this will happen by then," he told a press briefing at the time. However, he concluded that Turkey will eventually approve Finland's and Sweden's membership. A total of 17 nations have ratified Finland and Sweden's NATO ascension protocols. "However in this case it looks like Orban is just joining the Turkish bandwagon when it comes to Finnish and Swedish NATO membership. The two Nordic countries asked to join the military alliance in May, prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia benefits as Turkey slows down Swedish and Finnish applications to NATO and Hungary continues to block an E.U. 2. By the end of the year, Hungary will have approved Sweden's and Finland's applications to join NATO. Hungary, however, could potentially deflate Finland's NATO membership aspirations. Ulf Kristersson (left), the prime minister of Sweden, and Sanna Marin, Finlands prime minister, holding a press conference in Helsinki on Tuesday. (This bill was proposed by the supermajority of MP's manually selected and controlled by Orban with power to amend, repeal and reinstate the formal . . Finland and Sweden asked to join NATO in May in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but ran into objections from Turkey. The Finnish foreign ministry declined to comment. Ukraine's Russian-occupied nuclear power station was operating on back-up diesel generators on Thursday after being disconnected from the Ukrainian power grid by Russian shelling, the Ukrainian nuclear energy company said. So far, Sweden has approved only two requests. On February 28th, four days after the invasion, the polls showed majority support for the first time. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Journalists and politicians do not understand why the Hungarian parliament has not yet discussed Sweden's and Finland's accession to NATO. We are waiting for it to come to life. Turkey has said it has more objections to Sweden than Finland but both countries last week reiterated they would join Nato at the same time, maintaining a united front. "There may not be much Finland can do about this,"said Minna lander, a researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs in Helsinki. "Finland and Sweden are committed partners of NATO, have been involved in the Alliance's Partnership for Peace programme since 1994 and have played and are playing an active role in past and. He also maintains cordial relations with Russia. "Possibly Fidesz hopes to link Finland and Swedens NATO membership to the recent EU commission proposal to freeze funds for Hungary due to rule of law concerns," she told Euronews. Nato Finland and Sweden call on Hungary and Turkey to ratify Nato applications Erdoan demands action against 'terrorist' Kurdish militants as Nordic pair maintain united front Ulf. The discussion of the accession process is still on the Hungarian parliament schedule, in theory. IE 11 is not supported. At stake is the NATO membership of Sweden and Finland, which Hungary and Turkey will hinder to slow down their accession to the western military bloc. Stay informed daily on the latest news and advice on COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. Erdoan demands action against terrorist Kurdish militants as Nordic pair maintain united front. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. Hungary and Turkey are the only members not to have ratified the applications. "We see a positive and progressive movement forward when it comes to the ratification by Hungary towards the Swedish and the Finnish applications," he said. Explore the live extension of our journalism, The wonk's survival guide to the EU Green Deal, November 29-December 1 Sustainable Future Week, Italys Meloni plays eager Europhile for a day but bitter battles lie ahead, Finland and Sweden have delivered, NATO chief says in Turkey, In U-turn, Bulgarian parliament tells Sofia to send weapons to Ukraine, Russias Kherson retreat plan well advanced, says Western official, Zelenskyy: Count me out of G20 if Putins going, Biden froze out Chinas ambassador. The Parliament's press department told Telex earlier that the vote on the two countries' NATO membership is on the autumn parliamentary agenda, but did not say when exactly it would take place. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. Hungary and Turkey are the only remaining members not to have . insightnews.media - Mike Baines 23h. Apart from Hungary, Turkey is the only NATO member that has not yet ratified the two . Some analysts have suggested Swedens centre-right government, formed earlier this month, may find it easier to compromise with Turkey than its centre-left predecessor. However, in the end he will ratify. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. In 2019 just over half of Finns were opposed to NATO membership. Nordic media have said as many as 73 may be pending. Fast forward another month to the NATO summit in Madrid at the end of June, and after some intensive closed-door diplomacy, Turkey reached an agreement to support the memberships - including setting up tripartite talks to smooth over any sticking points. "Finland and Sweden are committed partners of NATO, have been involved in the Alliance's Partnership for Peace programme since 1994 and have played and are playing an active role in past and present NATO-led peace support operations," he added. Though there is speculation about the reasons, the main obstacle for the two Nordic countries remains Turkey. Putin has left us no option: Finnish and Swedish readers on joining Nato, applied to join the US-led defence alliance. October 22, 2022 2:50 pm Hungary's government supports the NATO membership of Sweden and Finland and has submitted the ratification documents to the National Assembly, Minister Gergely Gulys told reporters at a briefing on Saturday. (Reporting by Anna Ringstrom and Terje Solsvik, additional reporting by Krisztina Than in Budapest, editing by Essi Lehto, Frank Jack Daniel and Barbara Lewis), Tags: Ukraine, Sweden, Russia, Hungary, Europe, Finland. Later on Wednesday, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom was similarly optimistic Hungary would ratify Sweden's application after he spoke with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto a few days ago. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin called on Hungary and Turkey to approve her country and neighbouring Sweden's bids to join NATO on Tuesday. Welcome to today's Morning Brief, where we're looking at Finland and Sweden 's steps toward NATO, the latest from Ukraine, and more news worth following from around . Finland and Sweden optimistic Hungary will ratify their NATO applications 6 mins ago Like Comments STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Finland's president Sauli Niinisto said on Wednesday he was. Indeed, one of the lasting legacies of the Russian invasion may be how the war spurred NATO's strengthening and expansion. The Hungarian parliament has not voted yet about Sweden's and Finland's NATO membership bids. The two nordic countries applied to join the. STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Finland's president Sauli Niinisto said on Wednesday he was counting on Hungary to ratify the Nordic country's NATO application after he had talked on the phone with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Finland and Sweden, on the other hand, fulfill the parameters of NATO membership more clearly than several of the alliance's current members. STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Finland's president Sauli Niinisto said on Wednesday he was counting on Hungary to ratify the Nordic country's NATO application after he had talked on the phone with. Hungary, which is led by a Kremlin-friendly prime minister, Viktor Orban, may also be a question mark, although he has . Ukraine announces bid to join NATO after Russia annexes four Ukrainian regions, NATO's closest unit to Ukraine war bares its teeth in Romania, Sweden and Finland's NATO accession 'to be fastest in history'. This content is not available in your region, Hungary and Turkey are the last two roadblocks to NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, FILE: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban sign a document during their meeting in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019. Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin on November 1 urged Hungary and Turkey to swiftly approve the Swedish and Finnish applications for membership in the NATO defense alliance. He also said it could be argued that Turkey sees more Nordic NATO memberships as a potentially disruptive element, "further straining the West-Russia relationship". HELSINKI (Reuters) -Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Tuesday urged Hungary and Turkey to swiftly approve the Swedish and Finnish applications for membership of the NATO defence alliance. The Turks had originally signalled that they supported the NATO bids: in a phone call between President Erdogan and President Niinist at the beginning of April, the Finns received assurances that there wouldn't be any problems. Sweden Says No To NATO Membership Sweden and Finland have just cleared a big hurdle on their path to NATO membership with the US Senate's overwhelming vote to welcome them into the Alliance. These statements of Sweden are good, but not enough until they are implemented, elik said. "Turkeys strategic interests have increasingly diverged from the rest of the [NATO] alliance," said Toni Alaranta, a Turkey specialist at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, in a recent briefing paper. Hungary and Turkey are the last two NATO . "Further meetings are expected," it added. Swedish media have reported that Kristersson is set to attend a bilateral meeting in Ankara, probably on 8 November, a few days after Natos secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, who is due to visit the Turkish capital for talks on Friday. Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. Turkey is still hoping for a green light to buy US F-16 fighters - and they might be looking to use the Finland and Sweden NATO decision as a way to pressure the Americans to approve a deal (a senior Turkish military commander said recently if there was no F-16 deal, Turkey could buy new warplanes from Russia instead). NATO should be prepared to utilize a heavy hand against Budapest should Hungary attempt a last-minute veto or seek concessions for Sweden and Finland's accession. Latest news, analysis and comment on the French election in 2022 and beyond. The third likely reason is that Hungary is also "the most Russian-friendly government in the EU". Asked by a reporter if NATO would be getting stronger with Finland and Sweden joining, Gulys replied that he hoped so. "If anyone clearly likes the postponement of Swedish and Finnish NATO membership, it is clearly Russia", a country on which the Hungarian government has developed a relationship of dependence, for example in the field of energy," saidKrek. FILE: A Turkish Air Force F16 fighter jet taxies on the runway at the Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, Friday, Aug. 30, 2013. STOCKHOLM Finland's president Sauli Niinisto said on Wednesday he was counting on Hungary to ratify the Nordic country's NATO application after he had talked on the phone with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Latest news, analysis and comment on migration in Europe and beyond. The Swedish ambassador in Ankara has been summoned for a dressing-down, and the timing is far from ideal. Swedens new foreign minister, Tobias Billstrm, said on Monday the new coalition had less baggage on the Kurdish issue. By November, only Hungary and Turkey had yet to ratify Finland and Sweden's applications, with Hungary signalling that they would likely pass in December and Turkey demanding greater cooperation with its demands. Hungary to approve NATO bids of Sweden, Finland in December - minister. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo, California Do Not Sell My Personal Information Request. "Hungary supports Finlands NATO membership, but the ratification process in the Hungarian parliament is still under way," a Finnish government press release noted at the time. Finland and Sweden asked to join NATO in May in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but ran into . a parliamentary report presented on friday by sweden's foreign minister, ann linde, said that its membership in nato, alongside finland, would have a deterrent effect in northern europe,. "The extraordinary NATO meeting is over. "Good that Finland can count on Hungary in our NATO ratification. I think it would be important that this would happen preferably sooner than later.. Latest news, analysis and comment on German politics and beyond. Reporting by Anita Komuves and Krisztina Than; editing by John Stonestreet. However, no date has been set which means, for the time being, the issue is on the back burner. Europeans are still rattled by four years of the Trump administration casting aspersions on NATO. Finland and Sweden, two Nordic countries with deep . Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. If you do not have an account you can register here. Advertisement. Multiple NATO member states (the United States, United Kingdom, France, Turkey, Canada, Norway, Estonia, Iceland and Portugal) have indicated that it would be very unlikely that they would close the door for Finland. Read more on insightnews.media. Gulys, chief of staff to Prime Minister Viktor Orbn, said the expansion of NATO to include the two Nordic countries would be ratified by mid-December at the latest, according to media reports. Hungary and Turkey are the only members not to have ratified the applications. Hungary and Turkey are the only members not to have ratified the applications. This Thursday, in The New York Times, David E. Sanger wrote about the current news regarding Finland and Sweden and their plans to join NATO.While Sanger writes about all sides, the pros and cons of this development, he also mentions Hungary and the self-contradictory political communication of the government and PM Orbn. embargo on Russian oil. By Paola Tamma. Hungary and Turkey remain the last two NATO countries yet to ratify Sweden's and Finland's accession. It was amongst other things about past statements people had made and how people viewed the activities of Kurdish groups on Swedish territory, Billstrm said, arguing that his Social Democrat predecessor, Ann Lindes, public support for Kurdish movements had complicated negotiations. The only other hold-out, Slovakia, is likely to ratify Finland and Sweden's accession next week. Hungary's government spokesman, Gergely Gulyas, said Friday that the European country will ratify the entry of Sweden and Finland into the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO) by mid-December at the latest. MEPs condemn EU Commission 'leniency' on Hungary FILE PHOTO: A view of the flags of Finland, NATO and Sweden during a ceremony to mark Sweden's . Last month, Orban's chief of staff Gergely Gulyas said he expected the Hungarian parliament to discuss the approval of the ratification document before its autumn session ends. Canada, Denmark, and Britain were the first to ratify the Scandinavian . All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. 1 min read. European Union nations Finland and Sweden reached important stages Wednesday on their way to possible NATO membership as the Finnish government issued a security report to lawmakers and Sweden's ruling party initiated a review of security policy options. Sweden and Finland fear that Hungary will veto their accession to NATO. Expansion of alliance should be approved in Budapest by mid-December, Orbns chief of staff says. "Good that Finland can count on Hungary in our NATO ratification. He may regret that, Germanys Scholz: The way we deal with China must change. The NATO Madrid Summit held at the end of June saw Turkey . Finland and Sweden's future with NATO. Theme: Politics. Hungarys government supports the NATO membership of Sweden and Finland and has submitted the ratification documents to the National Assembly, Minister Gergely Gulys told reporters at a briefing on Saturday. Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. Fri 20 May 2022 12.27 EDT Last modified on Sat 21 May 2022 04.57 EDT. By Syndicated Content Nov 2, 2022 | 8:04 AM STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Finland's president Sauli Niinisto said on Wednesday he was counting on Hungary to ratify the Nordic country's NATO application after he had talked on the phone with Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban. As long as Erdogan keeps announcing that hell keep blocking their accession, as he did a couple of days ago, Hungary is unlikely to move either," lander said. Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 triggered a surge in support for joining NATO in the two traditionally militarily non-aligned . "Good that Finland can count on Hungary in our NATO ratification. FILE PHOTO: Finnish and NATO flags are seen printed on paper this illustration taken April 13, 2022. The other main reason, according to Krek, is that Hungary is in an isolated position within the EU, "so the veto is the tool it uses to assert its influence". Ankara wants to see more extraditions of individuals it says are linked to the PKK and other groups it considers terrorist. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoReuters. Today, the quasi opposition motioned the formal legislation to vote on a formal bill introduced outlining the ratification of Hungary's sister states in the EU, Finland and Sweden to NATO. The previous Swedish government followed through on parts of a June memorandum signed with Turkey to win Ankaras support, lifting the arms embargo and blocking financial and other support for Kurdish groups in Syria such as the so-called YPG. The continued debate on NATO in Finland and Sweden demonstrates that the question of membership has not been definitively decided. The only thing to be scared of is the nuclear threat, and I think NATO . 3. So is there anything that either country can do to bring more pressure on Viktor Orbn and his government? Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. I look forward to further strengthening our Fenno-Ugric connection also as allies," Niinisto said on Twitter, referring to the countries' shared liguistic history. "It is doable to focus on whether or not the growth is within the pursuits of Hungary's nationwide safety, however in accordance to studies, he mentioned that this is not the purpose in the intervening time," the official added. The prime ministers of Finland and Sweden have urged Hungaryand Turkey to approve their countries' applications to join Nato, but Ankara insisted it would not lift its objections without. Turkeys president, Recep Tayyip Erdoan, who faces elections next year and is keen to shore up nationalist support, has said his country is still opposed to Swedens application, while his ruling AK party spokesperson, mer elik, said on Monday that Sweden had not yet done enough for Ankara to change its mind. In the corridors of power in Stockholm and Helsinki, the champagne is on ice. Hungary stated that it cannot support Ukraine's integration into the military bloc and vetoed the NATO-Ukraine Committee summit scheduled take place in December, the Foreign Ministry of Hungary announced, according to a statement published on the country's government website. Slovak Parliament Approves NATO Membership for Finland, Sweden. Another fifteen million people joined the NATO alliance on Tuesday. The central bank chairman is walking a tightrope between taming inflation and bringing on a recession. Despite previous reassurances to the Nordic applicants, there are likely to be three main reasons the Hungarians have now put the brakes on ratifying their accession process, according toPter Krekat the Political Capital think tank in Budapest. In-depth reporting, data and actionable intelligence for policy professionals all in one place.