The German press also pays particular attention to Stoltenberg’s announcement of a significant increase in NATO’s NRF Rapid Reaction Force.
The Turkish president will be elected Tayyip Erdogan the “green light” for Sweden and Finland to join NATO? Ahead of the start of the Alliance Summit, Recep Tayyip Erdogan is meeting in Madrid with the President of Finland and the Prime Minister of Sweden, the first meetings at this level since blocking the accession of the two countries. “Under normal circumstances,” she points out Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, “(Such meetings) would indicate that a solution is imminent, as diplomats have been talking for days about good progress in the negotiations and referring to the informal goal of reaching an agreement before the start of the Summit. But yesterday it was also heard that Erdogan is Erdogan. “That is, unpredictable, and that no one knows what he is really thinking. Stoltenberg, who acts as mediator, expressed reservations yesterday as usual, saying he would not make promises, but assurances that ‘we are working hard to ensure progress’.”
“Only from a position of power vis-στη-vis Russia”
The newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung also recalls the NATO Secretary General’s promise that “the summit will be transformative and that the alliance must be renewed”, … A transatlantic dinner will be held as a sign of unity. In addition to NATO countries, heads of state and government will come from those non-NATO EU countries: Malta, Austria, Ireland, Cyprus, such as Finland and Sweden. This will pay even more attention to the Turkish President. “The Cyprus issue has prevented even greater co-operation between NATO and the EU, and now Turkey is putting obstacles in the way of Sweden and Finland joining the alliance, because the Scandinavians allegedly support terrorist organizations.”
The German press also pays particular attention to Stoltenberg’s announcement of a significant reinforcement of NATO’s NRF Rapid Reaction Force in order to deal with threats. Indicative of what the Märkische Oderzeitung points out. “NATO wants to put 300,000 troops across Europe on high alert to signal that it is ready to defend itself against an aggressive Russia. The Kremlin has obviously been pursuing a policy of using force for the past two decades, so it must be dealt with forcefully. Yes, Europe must know how to defend itself. “Nevertheless, there is still the unpleasant feeling that we are completely in Putin’s game.”
DW – Irini Anastassopoulou
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