Finland and Sweden move step closer to joining Nato, as Turkey drops opposition to membership

Finland and Sweden were on Tuesday given the green light to join Nato after convincing Turkey to drop its opposition to their membership.

In a historic moment for the military alliance, the Turkish leader joined his Swedish and Finnish counterparts to sign a memorandum of understanding, paving the way for their accession to the alliance.

Jens Stoltenberg, its secretary-general, said: “We now have an agreement that paves the way for Finland and Sweden to join Nato.”

Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, hailed the breakthrough as "fantastic news", adding: "Sweden and Finland's membership will make our brilliant alliance stronger and safer."

The deal was brokered following more than two hours of intense negotiation on the eve of a leadership summit in Madrid.

At the summit, Nato leaders will on Wednesday agree to bring Finland and Sweden into the alliance, enlarging it to a 32-member bloc.

Both Nordic countries were neutral throughout the Cold War but applied to join Nato in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

But for more than a month, Ankara had vetoed their membership bids over their alleged indulgence of Kurdish groups, such as the PKK, which Turkey has listed as a terrorist organisation.

However, on Tuesday, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish president, said he had been satisfied by the Nordic nations that they would crack down on Islamist terrorists.

Sources said the Turkish leader had "got what he wanted" from the talks in Madrid.

To overcome Turkey’s opposition, Finland and Sweden agreed to tighten their laws for tackling terrorist activities and open negotiations with Ankara over extradition treaties.

Their deal will also open talks to lift arms embargoes imposed on Turkey in 2019 after Ankara agreed to purchase Russian-made missile systems.

Critics have accused Mr Erdogan of resisting Finland and Sweden's Nato membership in order to broker a deal with the US to resume sales of fighter jets. The Turkish leader confirmed he would address the US refusal to sell Ankara F-16 jets, another contentious issue between Nato allies, in a separate meeting on Wednesday with Joe Biden, the US President.

Washington did not want to bow to Turkish demands to resume sales of fighter jets, however this was expected to be a key part in a deal to bring Finland and Sweden into Nato.

Sauli Niinistö, Finland’s president, said: “Our joint memorandum underscores the commitment of Finland, Sweden and Turkey to extend their full support against threats to each other’s security.

“Us becoming Nato allies will further strengthen this commitment.”

Membership would more than double Nato/Russia border

Finnish and Swedish membership would more than double the length of Nato's border with Russia, while reinforcing its defence of the Baltic states and Poland.

Nato leaders will on Wednesday start two days of talks about the alliance’s most significant strategic overhaul since the end of the Cold War.

They are set to sign off on plans for more than 300,000 troops to be placed on high alert, a new strategy for guarding against a Russian invasion and further support for Ukraine.

The news came as Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv and former world champion boxer, told The Telegraph that joining Nato was a “main priority” for his country in the wake of Russia’s invasion.

Mr Klitschko, alongside brother Vladimir, said Ukraine would struggle to survive without genuine security guarantees from the Western military alliance.

In an interview on the fringes of the Madrid summit, he told The Telegraph: “Without the support of Nato and other democratic countries it would be difficult to survive in this war against Russia.

“Nato membership is very important. Nato status [offers] collective safety. I listen to more and more voices at this summit regarding how Ukraine and Nato have to work more closely.

“We have to stop this war [and] keep Russian soldiers out of our territory. “Nato status for us is the main priority.”

President Biden will appeal to Western leaders to keep weapons flowing to Ukraine, as well as bolster Nato's defences.

"The alliance is strengthening its posture, is dealing with the threats and strengthening our posture against the threats from the east, and challenges from the south. Nato is focused on all directions and domains land, air and sea," he said shortly after arriving in Madrid.

Speaking alongside Pedro Sanchez, Spain's prime minister, President Biden set out plans to send two US destroyers to the Rota Naval Station in Spain.

“As I said before the war started, if Putin attacked Ukraine, the United States would enhance our force posture in Europe and respond to the reality of a new European security environment," the US leader added.

Putin visits Tajikistan to shore up influence in central Asia

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin, Russia's president, on Tuesday jetted to Tajikistan, leaving Russia for the first time since his invasion of Ukraine, to shore up his influence in central Asia.

The Kremlin leader sees the region as vital to offset the economic sanctions and political isolation imposed in him by the West.

In a meeting with Emomali Rahmon, the Tajikistan president, Mr Putin said Russia was attempting to "build relations with the political forces that control the situation" in Afghanistan.

The Russian president will on Wednesday join a summit of leaders from Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Iran as part of his diplomatic efforts in the region.

Moscow on Tuesday expanded its sanctions list to include President Biden's wife and daughter, in "response to the ever-expanding US sanctions against Russian political and public figures".

The resolution of the deadlock marked a triumph for intense diplomacy as Nato allies try to seal the Nordic accession in record time as a way of solidifying their response to Russia - particularly in the Baltic Sea, where Finnish and Swedish membership would give the alliance military superiority.