Biden welcomes Sweden's acceptance into NATO as Summit begins

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, shakes hands with Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, right, as NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg looks on prior to a meeting ahead of a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 10, 2023. [AP Photo]

President Joe Biden welcomed news late Monday that Sweden will be admitted to NATO, overcoming objections from the last holdout in the security alliance, Turkey, on the eve of a major summit of the security bloc in Lithuania's capital.

"I stand ready to work with (Turkish) President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan and (Turkey) on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area," Biden said in a statement issued from Vilnius, where he is attending the summit of NATO leaders. "I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO Ally."