NBC Boston, May 2022
Finland and Sweden both announced their bids to join the Western military alliance NATO in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but Turkey has threatened to block it. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he’s against the alliance because of their alleged support for Kurdish militants. The opposition raises questions about how quickly the application process could advance, as unanimity among all 30 NATO countries is required for new members to join.
Harvard scholar Oleh Kotsyuba and Northeastern University professors Mai’a Cross and Pablo Calderon explain why Turkey, one country in the alliance, can and would block Finland and Sweden from joining NATO in NBC10 Boston’s weekly series, “Russia-Ukraine Q&A.”
