Sweden and Finland set to join NATO in May

[President Johnson]

https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1525140318487826433

Putin is a triggered snowflake, example 8,954.

Too bad when you whine about NATO all the time, start a war with war crimes committed, just to find out NATO expands further in a matter of months.

We actually need another Downfall video with "Putin finds out Finland and Sweden joined NATO".

[President Johnson]

I really can't hide my gloating over this spectacular own goal by Putin. Everything he wanted to accomplish through attacking Ukraine has turned into the exact opposite.

[President Johnson]

Yeah, Vlad, but you know that NATO kept its word until February 24 by NOT sending more than a few thousand troops into NATO members bordering Russia, right? Even after you invaded Georgia, Donbas and Crimea, we kept out word. You didn't.

[President Johnson]

Just [you know what] this guy at this point. Can we trade Sweden and Finland for Turkey?

https://twitter.com/FinancialTimes/status/1537125332511334403

[President Johnson]

German media reporting that Turkey has given up opposition to Sweden and Finland joining NATO.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1541852568539758598

[President Johnson]

German Bundestag formally ratified the admission of Finland and Sweden today, joining a few other parliaments who already did that. Remember that all legislative bodies of the 30 member states need to approve admission.

The governing coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP voted in favor, as did CDU/CSU opposition and parts of AfD. Only Die Linke went against, which is hardly a surprise given their dislike for NATO.

[President Johnson]

Any guesses on who will vote against the accession treaty in the US? Paul and Lee feel like automatics given they voted against Montenegro. Does anyone join them?

The usual suspects: MTG, Gosar, Tlaib, Omar, among a few others. Just the worst members of congress from both parties.

[President Johnson]

Any guesses on who will vote against the accession treaty in the US? Paul and Lee feel like automatics given they voted against Montenegro. Does anyone join them?

The usual suspects: MTG, Gosar, Tlaib, Omar, among a few others. Just the worst members of congress from both parties.

House doesn't vote on treaties.

Is this being done with the formal constitutional treaty method? That is so rarely used.

I believe for NATO accession it has to be.

Yeah, I thought the same as jfern. Not sure whether admission of Finland and Sweden is a treaty in that sense, or whether it just needs a federal law that authorizes the exeuctive branch or the president to approve in the name of the United States.

[President Johnson]

Every single party and every single lawmaker in any NATO country that votes against admission of Sweden and Finland needs to be called out in the starkest terms. They're either Putin's arm or just useful idiots to the Kremlin.

[President Johnson]

So Erdogan apparently continues to block NATO admission after a meeting with Sweden's new prime minister. Hopefully he gets voted out next year.

https://twitter.com/amberinzaman/status/1590025587992952832

[President Johnson]

Seems pretty serious. I thought the Swedish strategy was going to be to make optimistic noises in the expectation that Turkey would keep delaying, but only until after their 2023 election.

https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1612079633859592192

I think at this point they should hope for a change after the 2023 election. I remain skeptical that Erdogan will actually be defeated leave office inspite of hyperinflation, an economic crisis and some Erdogan fatigue in Turkey. Relationships would certainly improve with a president from the CHP.

[President Johnson]

Today Erdogan announced that Turkish elections are being held in May instead of June. So hopefully he loses as some polls say and this finally gets done.

[President Johnson]

Hungary has finally ratified Finland's NATO admission. A vote over Sweden wasn't held.

[President Johnson]

Despite his re-election victory, Erdogan continues to drag his feet:

No breakthrough in NATO-Turkey talks about Sweden joining

Stoltenberg arranged a new meeting between Turkish and Swedish delegations in the coming weeks though.

[President Johnson]

German newssources say that Erdogan wants a big deal done, including purchasing US fighter jets. Unfortunately he knows how to play his cards, especially since there's little leverage the other members have since a member can't be kicked out either. And even if it was possible, Turkey's geographical location is just too important for American presence (although I'd prefer Sweden and Finland in to Turkey and Hungary out; latter's membership of the EU should also be questioned).

[President Johnson]

https://twitter.com/b_nishanov/status/1749866331896209895
Hungary now stands alone

Officially approved now.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1749889944321917387

[President Johnson]

Do I trust Orban? Heck no. But I'll take it over nothing:

"Hungary's parliament will be ready to ratify Sweden's NATO membership when it convenes for its spring session, which begins at the end of this month, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said."

I think he probably will follow through after Erdo backed off earlier. Orban has already dropped his opposition to further aid to Ukraine at the last EU leader summit, mainly due to increasing pressure by Scholz and Macron.

[President Johnson]

On Monday it's time to pack out the Köttbullar, because the Hungarian parliament will finally ratify Sweden's NATO membership:

https://apnews.com/article/hungary-sweden-nato-82e23abfcb355e6ecd791544cfb034b8

Another strategic win for Vladimir Putin.

[President Johnson]

Until they have a new President, Hungary is still going to stall on this agreement even after their National Assembly passes it on Monday, assuming they keep their word:

Even if Hungary’s parliament votes in Sweden’s favour on Monday as expected, there could yet be room for more potential stalling as it will still need to be signed by the president. Hungary’s president, Katalin Novák, recently announced her resignation, so the appointment of a new president and the decision on Sweden’s Nato application could potentially overlap, meaning that it could yet be sent to the constitutional court.

Kind of weird. The speaker of the Assembly has become acting president until March 5.

[President Johnson]

Sweden officially joins NATO, becoming alliance’s 32nd member

Sweden officially joined NATO on Thursday after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine spurred it to rethink its defense policy and abandon its long held position of neutrality.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson formally handed over accession documents to the US State Department in Washington, DC, the final step of a months-long process to gain the approval of all members to allow his country to become the alliance’s 32nd member.

The documents are put into a vault at the State Department, which serves as the treaty depositary for NATO.

“With receipt of this instrument of accession let me be the very first to welcome Sweden as a party to the Washington Treaty and the 32nd member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said alongside Kristersson.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/07/europe/sweden-join-nato-official-intl

Another strategic victory for Vladimir Putin.