Biden meets Sweden, Finland leaders to talk NATO, Russia

Washington DC: President Joe Biden on Thursday welcomed the leaders of Sweden and Finland to the White House, as he hailed the application of the once-neutral countries to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Biden greeted Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden and President Sauli Niinist of Finland at the White House with handshakes and laughter as they met for trilateral conversations on the NATO mutual defense pact as well as broader European security concerns. His administration has professed optimism for their applications to join the alliance, which would mark a significant embarrassment to Russia, despite continued opposition from Turkey. I think we're going to be okay, Biden said Wednesday when asked whether he was confident he could secure their entry into NATO. Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that the alliance stop expanding toward Russia's borders.