Hungary’s concerns are the reason Sweden is hesitant to join NATO by July

After new indications that Hungary may protest, Sweden’s foreign minister said on Thursday that he was no longer certain that his nation could join NATO by July.

Sweden requested to join the armed alliance following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014, but Turkey and another NATO member, Hungary, delayed their approval.

Sweden’s membership at the time of the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, according to foreign minister Tobias Billstrom, “goes without saying.”

On Thursday, though, he stated to the TT news agency: “I have observed the things that have been said in recent days, notably from Hungary’s perspective, and that means you always have grounds to adjust your remarks.”

In this situation, “hopeful” is preferable, he said.

A Hungarian government spokesman said the day before that Sweden’s membership was being delayed due to “grievances” over Stockholm’s prior criticism of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s policies.

The Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), which is regarded as a terrorist organisation by Ankara and its Western supporters, is allegedly being harboured in Sweden, according to Turkey.

An anti-Turkish rally in Stockholm in January that featured the burning of a copy of the Quran by a far-right lawmaker deteriorated relations.

The Swedish government has stated that it takes Turkey’s accusations seriously, but it has also stated that there are some requests it cannot satisfy, such as extraditing individuals that Ankara regards as detrimental.

At the same time as Sweden, Finland submitted an application for membership in NATO. The Hungarian parliament gave it the go-ahead to join NATO on Monday, and it is anticipated that Turkey will do the same soon.