
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Sweden’s push to join NATO took a step forward Tuesday, after the Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs committee ended a year-long delay and voted to allow the historically Nordic country to join the Western military alliance, <a href="https://twitter.com/anadoluagency/status/1739680608845008943" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a> to Turkish media outlets—a step that could help Sweden end its longstanding neutrality amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Turkey’s full parliament still needs to approve the decision, though no date for a vote has been set.</p>



<p>Sweden’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström said on X the country&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/TobiasBillstrom/status/1739681174509748345" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">welcomed</a>&nbsp;the news and looks forward to becoming a member of NATO.</p>



<p>To join NATO, countries need unanimous approval from all 31 existing member countries—Turkey and Hungary have been the lone holdouts in Sweden’s bid, and Hungary has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/no-deal-with-turkey-swedish-nato-bid-hungarys-orban-2023-12-21/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">not yet</a>&nbsp;started the process of approving Sweden’s membership.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Sweden and fellow Nordic country Finland both <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61397478" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">made moves to drop</a> their historic position of neutrality by making a bid to join NATO in 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Finland successfully <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-finland-russia-ukraine-membership-enlargement-c703d23a8423d89577d5b752d69d76eb" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">joined</a> the alliance in April, but Sweden’s bid has taken longer, with Turkey and Hungary each stalling the process. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan previously <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/why-is-turkey-blocking-swedish-finnish-nato-membership-2023-01-25/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">raised objections</a> about both Sweden and Finland’s memberships, citing concern that Sweden in particular has been too lenient on Kurdish groups that the country views as terrorists. Last year, Turkey, Finland and Sweden struck a deal to bring Sweden and Finland into NATO, with Sweden offering to pass new anti-terrorism laws.  Erdogan has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/turkey-sweden-nato-congress-f16s-jets-d851a62123ed4c5ff250929c3d9b67f6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">suggested</a> he could approve Sweden’s NATO bid if the United States lets Turkey buy F-16s.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>Hungarian President Viktor Orban said last week that there was “no great willingness” among Hungary’s parliament to rush a vote on Sweden’s NATO membership, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/no-deal-with-turkey-swedish-nato-bid-hungarys-orban-2023-12-21/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reuters.</a>&nbsp;Hungarian leaders have said Sweden has unfairly accused Hungary of eroding democratic rights—as Orban has frequently been accused of authoritarian tendencies. The country’s parliament will reportedly resume in mid-February.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>32. That’s how many countries would make up the NATO alliance if Sweden’s membership is ultimately approved.</p>


NATO Holds 2023 Summit In Vilnius

Sweden Gets Closer To NATO Membership: Turkish Panel Greenlights Bid To Join Alliance


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Turkey is engaged in discussions with Russia and Ukraine to establish a corridor to resume Ukrainian grain exports, Reuters&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/turkey-talks-with-russia-ukraine-over-grain-export-corridor-senior-official-2022-05-26/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;Thursday morning, a crucial step in ending a global food supply crisis due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Turkey is in talks to open a route for Ukrainian grain exports to leave the country’s Black Sea ports and travel through the Bosphorus strait running through Turkey, an anonymous senior Turkish official&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/turkey-talks-with-russia-ukraine-over-grain-export-corridor-senior-official-2022-05-26/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;Reuters.</p>



<p>An&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/05/19/ukraine-says-may-grain-exports-down-more-than-60-compared-to-2021-in-latest-alarming-sign-of-international-food-crisis/?sh=73384d1c2cc6">estimated</a>&nbsp;20 million tons of grain are stuck in Ukraine, and the country is one of the world’s five largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil and meal, making it a staple of countries’ food supply globally.</p>



<p>Grain exports from the country&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/05/19/ukraine-says-may-grain-exports-down-more-than-60-compared-to-2021-in-latest-alarming-sign-of-international-food-crisis/?sh=73384d1c2cc6">are down</a>&nbsp;more than 60% compared to 2021, according to the Ukrainian agricultural ministry, as exports can only travel by land due to port blockades.</p>



<p>A crucial step to re-opening is to clear Ukrainian ports of mines—something both Russia and Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-says-it-has-completed-demining-azov-sea-port-mariupol-2022-05-24/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">have</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-25/mined-ports-polish-red-tape-among-issues-stopping-ukraine-grain" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">accused</a>&nbsp;each other of placing.</p>



<p>Turkish vessels may also serve as naval escorts for ships containing the Ukrainian grain, an operation&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/23/lithuania-calls-for-joint-effort-on-russia-black-sea-blockade" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">backed</a>&nbsp;Monday by the United Kingdom and Lithuania, but Russia may be more amenable to Turkish escorts given Turkey’s warmer stance toward Russia compared to other NATO members.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Andrei Rudenko, Russia’s deputy foreign minister,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-ready-set-up-corridor-ships-carrying-food-leave-ukraine-ifax-2022-05-25/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;Wednesday that Russia was willing to allow for humanitarian passage of Ukrainian grain exports on one lofty condition: the lifting of Western sanctions on Russian exports. Numerous leaders have sharply criticized Russia for its role in accelerating the global food crisis, including David Beasley, director of the United Nations’ World Food Programme, who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/05/24/world-outrage-grows-toward-russia-this-time-over-food-crisis-sparked-by-invasion/?sh=1882ace3e655">said</a>&nbsp;the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports may cause “millions” to die globally. Russia has denied its responsibility for the food shortages and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/kremlin-says-west-is-blame-ukraine-grain-export-problems-2022-05-26/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told reporters</a>&nbsp;Thursday the “illegal actions” of the West led to the crisis, according to Reuters’ translation of his comments.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chief-critic">CHIEF CRITIC</h2>



<p>British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/may/26/russia-ukraine-war-latest-russia-says-it-will-reopen-black-sea-ports-live" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">accused</a>&nbsp;Russian President Vladimir Putin of “trying to hold the world to ransom” by blocking grain exports during a Thursday press conference, continuing, “He is essentially weaponizing hunger and lack of food amongst the poorest people around the world.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/05/24/world-outrage-grows-toward-russia-this-time-over-food-crisis-sparked-by-invasion/?sh=1882ace3e655">World Outrage Grows Toward Russia—This Time Over Food Crisis Sparked By Invasion</a>&nbsp;(<em>Forbes</em>)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/05/19/ukraine-says-may-grain-exports-down-more-than-60-compared-to-2021-in-latest-alarming-sign-of-international-food-crisis/?sh=73384d1c2cc6">Ukraine Says May Grain Exports Down More Than 60% Compared To 2021 In Latest Alarming Sign Of International Food Crisis</a> (<em>Forbes</em>)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Derek Saul, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Tag: Turkey

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Sweden Gets Closer To NATO Membership: Turkish Panel Greenlights Bid To Join Alliance

Global Food Crisis: Turkey Reportedly Trying To Free Ukrainian Grain Exports