Biden in Finland: NATO Summit Was Historic

On Thursday, July 13, U.S. President Joe Biden described the NATO summit as 'historic' due to the long-term commitment of members to continue aiding Ukraine during a meeting with leaders from Northern European countries in Helsinki, Finland. Finland's participation in the recent NATO summit as the newest member of this Western defense alliance was welcomed by members, and the last obstacle for Sweden's membership was removed. Biden had a bilateral meeting with his Finnish counterpart, during which he explained part of the content of his previous day's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the special guest of the two-day NATO summit. He stated, 'We had a long and very good meeting with Zelensky and his military commanders, and he left the session very happy. We believe this is a different period in the nature of our relations, and soon our partnership with Sweden will have a significant impact, so I look forward to continuing to work with you.' The agenda of the U.S. and Northern European countries, known as Nordic, included discussions on climate change, security cooperation, and emerging technologies. The U.S. President said, 'We have a shared and similar vision in many areas, including a free and secure world and providing opportunities for all. We believe that when low-income countries achieve prosperity, we will all be in a good position. We are also strengthening our cooperation in addressing climate change.' The five Northern European countries, which include the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, and the two republics of Iceland and Finland, are all NATO members except for Sweden. Finland and Sweden sought NATO membership in response to Russia's attack on Ukraine last year. The alliance accepted Finland in April, but Sweden's application was delayed due to Turkey's disagreement. Turkey's reason for rejecting this request was that Sweden was too lenient towards groups that Ankara considers terrorist organizations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after several rounds of negotiations and the passage of reforms in Sweden, including a new anti-terrorism law, stated this week that he has set aside his opposition and recommends that Turkish lawmakers agree to Sweden's NATO membership. Biden also discussed cooperation in emerging technologies and artificial intelligence, stating, 'We are leading in the production of the next generation of emerging technologies, which empowers our economies. I believe we need to keep our coordination in this area very close, as what we are doing is a significant advantage for humanity. However, if we do not cooperate, it could create major problems in the fields of artificial intelligence and others for us and the world.' Biden also reiterated the commitment of these countries at the NATO summit in Lithuania to continue aiding Zelensky and participated in a joint press conference with his Finnish counterpart at the end of his visit to Finland.