Biden Says He Is ‘Anxiously’ Awaiting for Sweden to Join NATO

President Biden told Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of Sweden on Wednesday that he was “anxiously looking forward” to the country’s acceptance into NATO, reiterating their shared goal of strengthening the Western alliance against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In their meeting at the White House, both emphasized the potential benefits that could come from adding Sweden to the group: “We also do think that we have things to contribute,” Mr. Kristersson told the president as they met in the Oval Office.

But with less than a week until Mr. Biden and other NATO leaders are scheduled to travel to a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, the inclusion of Sweden is still unlikely, given the continued opposition of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. Mr. Erdogan has blocked Sweden’s membership bid, saying Sweden has harbored Kurdish exiles and refugees affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which Turkey considers a terrorist group.