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US 'Confident' in Nordic NATO Bids, Ukraine Holds War Crimes Trial

United States is confident Finland and Sweden will become part of NATO || Photo: Collected

United States is confident Finland and Sweden will become part of NATO || Photo: Collected

The United States said Wednesday it is confident Finland and Sweden will become part of NATO, despite vocal Turkish protests -- an expansion that would dramatically realign European security in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Reflecting the brutality of the conflict which has reinvigorated the transatlantic alliance, Ukraine held its first war crimes trial since Moscow poured troops across the border beginning on February 24, with a 21-year-old Russian soldier pleading guilty to the cold-blooded murder of a Ukrainian civilian.

The launch of Kyiv's judicial reckoning over alleged atrocities committed on its soil after 12 weeks of war and thousands of deaths came as President Vladimir Putin was forced to confront the vexing prospect of NATO sharply expanding its reach on his borders.

Abandoning decades of non-alignment, Finland and Sweden formally submitted a joint application to join the military alliance at its headquarters in Brussels.

Throwing America's full weight behind the Nordic nations, President Joe Biden said he "strongly" backs their NATO bid and offered US support in the event of "aggression" during the application process.

In a sign of Washington's resolve to stand firm with Ukraine, the United States reopened its embassy in Kyiv after a three-month closure, with employees raising the Stars and Stripes in a modest ceremony.

Biden's comments came one day before he was to welcome Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson to the White House for meetings set to underscore the strategic reach of their decision.

Reacting to the NATO applications, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said they would not have been expected a short time ago, "but Putin's appalling ambitions have transformed the geopolitical contours of our continent".

The accession bid faces stiff resistance from NATO member Turkey, which accuses the Nordic neighbours of harbouring anti-Turkish extremists.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan demanded "respect" from NATO over his government's concerns.

But Western allies remain optimistic they can overcome Turkey's objections. For now, several including Britain have offered security guarantees to the Nordic nations to guard against any Russian aggression.

"We're confident that at the end of the day Finland and Sweden" will enter NATO and "that Turkey's concerns can be addressed," US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.

In an effort to lower the diplomatic heat, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met at the United Nations Wednesday with Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who called the face-to-face discussion "extremely positive."

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