Turkey lifts veto on Finland, Sweden joining NATO, clearing path for expansion - Reuters

MADRID/HELSINKI, June 28 (Reuters) - NATO ally Turkey lifted its veto over Finland and Sweden's bid to join the Western alliance on Tuesday after the three nations agreed to protect each other's security, ending a weeks-long drama that tested allied unity against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

support the invitation of Finland and Sweden to become members of NATO," Finnish President Niinisto said in a statement.

The steps for Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO will be agreed on in the next two days, Niinisto said.

Biden, in a Twitter post, called it a "crucial step towards a NATO invite to Finland and Sweden, which will strengthen our Alliance and bolster our collective security.".

Stoltenberg said NATO's 30 leaders would now invite Finland, which shares a 1,300 km (810-mile) border with Russia, and Sweden to join NATO and that they would become official "invitees".

He told reporters: "The door is open - the joining of Finland and Sweden into NATO will take place.".

Stoltenberg said the terms of the deal involved Sweden intensifying work on Turkish extradition requests of suspected militants and amending Swedish and Finnish law to toughen their approach to them.

Stoltenberg said Sweden and Finland would lift their restrictions on selling weapons to Turkey.

It also said Sweden and Finland were "demonstrating solidarity with Turkey in the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.".