Sweden does not want to negotiate NATO with Hungary Second defamation trial: Trump again rejects accusations

After Turkey’s ratification, Sweden sees no reason to negotiate with Hungary about its NATO application.

“We cannot negotiate NATO membership. On the other hand, we can discuss how we can best work together as NATO members,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told Swedish broadcaster TV4 on Friday. As an example, he mentioned the Swedish Jas 39 Gripen fighter plane, which Hungary has been using for years.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban invited Kristersson to visit Hungary on Tuesday to “negotiate” its accession to NATO. A day later, he claimed that his government supported Sweden’s membership of the defense alliance and wanted to move forward with ratification. In a response to Orban, Kristersson expressed his openness to a trip to Budapest on Thursday, but Orban initially promised a meeting at the EU summit in Brussels next Thursday.

Kristersson now told TV4 that he likes to travel to Budapest to talk about different things. But first we will meet in Brussels, where we can also ‘discuss’ things. However, there is nothing left to ‘negotiate’ when it comes to NATO membership.

Kristersson described Turkey’s approval after a year and a half of blockade as a “workers’ victory.” The ratification became official on Thursday evening when the so-called accession protocols were published in the Turkish official gazette. However, we have not yet achieved our goal, Kristersson said, in view of the last remaining ratification by Hungary. He therefore did not want to predict a date for accession. But Sweden will be a full NATO member “very soon,” he said. (sda/dpa)