US and Turkey Pressure Sweden to Join NATO and Receive F-16 Fighter Jets

Blinken maintained that the two issues are distinct but said that the completion of both would strengthen European security.

US President Joe Biden linked the two issues in a phone call to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan may be willing to ease his objections to Sweden's membership due to the recent re-election victory and the Qur'an-burning protests in Stockholm.

Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that Sweden will bring benefits to NATO when it joins the alliance.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the goal is to have Sweden inside the grouping before the leaders' summit in July.