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Delegations from Sweden, Finland Hold NATO Talks in Turkey

Flags of NATO member countries flap in the wind outside NATO headquarters, in Brussels, Wednesday, May 25, 2022. (AP)
Flags of NATO member countries flap in the wind outside NATO headquarters, in Brussels, Wednesday, May 25, 2022. (AP)
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Delegations from Sweden, Finland Hold NATO Talks in Turkey

Flags of NATO member countries flap in the wind outside NATO headquarters, in Brussels, Wednesday, May 25, 2022. (AP)
Flags of NATO member countries flap in the wind outside NATO headquarters, in Brussels, Wednesday, May 25, 2022. (AP)

Senior officials from Sweden and Finland held some five hours of talks with Turkish counterparts in Ankara on Wednesday in an effort to overcome Turkey’s strong objections to the Nordic nations' bids to join NATO.

Sweden and Finland submitted their written applications to join NATO last week. The move represents one of the biggest geopolitical ramifications of Russia’s war in Ukraine and could rewrite Europe’s security map.

Turkey has said it opposes the countries’ membership in the Western military alliance, citing grievances with Sweden's - and a to a lesser extent Finland’s - perceived support of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and other entities that Turkey views as security threats.

The PKK, which is listed as a terror organization by several of Turkey’s allies, has waged a decades-long insurgency against Turkey, a conflict that has cost the lives of tens of thousands people.

The Turkish government also accuses Finland and Sweden of imposing arms exports restrictions on Turkey and refusing to extradite suspected "terrorists."

Turkey’s objections have dampened Stockholm's and Helsinki’s hopes for joining NATO quickly amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and put the trans-Atlantic alliance's credibility at stake. All 30 NATO members must agree on admitting new members.

The Swedish and Finnish delegations met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, and Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal. The Swedish delegation was led by state secretary Oscar Stenstrom, while Jukka Salovaara, the foreign ministry undersecretary, headed up the Finnish delegation, Turkish officials said.

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said following a meeting with European Council President Charles Michel in Stockholm that her country wanted to "clarify" claims that have been floating around during discussions with Turkey.

"We do not send money or weapons to terrorist organizations," Andersson said.

During a news conference with the Estonian prime minister later Wednesday, Andersson said that "in these times, it is important to strengthen our security."

She said Sweden has "a constructive dialogue" with Turkey and that Stockholm was "eager to sort out issues and misunderstandings and questions."

Michel, who is scheduled to head to Helsinki from Stockholm, said it was "a pivotal moment for Sweden" and "we fully support your choices."

Turkey this week listed five "concrete assurances" it was demanding from Sweden, including what it said was "termination of political support for terrorism," an "elimination of the source of terrorism financing," and the "cessation of arms support" to the banned PKK and a Syrian Kurdish group affiliated with it.

The demands also called for the lifting of arms sanctions against Turkey and global cooperation against terrorism.

Turkey said that it has requested the extradition of Kurdish militants and other suspects since 2017 but hasn’t received a positive response from Stockholm. The Turkish government claimed Sweden had decided to provide $376 million to support the Kurdish militants in 2023 and that it had provided them with military equipment, including anti-tank weapons and drones.

Finland has received nine extradition requests from Turkey in a recent period covering over three years, Finnish news agency STT said Wednesday, citing data from the Finnish justice ministry. Two people were extradited while six of the requests were rejected. A decision was pending regarding one other case.

Sweden has denied providing financial assistance or military support to Kurdish groups or entities in Syria.

"Sweden is a major humanitarian donor to the Syria crisis through global allocations to humanitarian actors," Foreign Minister Ann Linde told the Aftonbladet newspaper.

"Cooperation in northeastern Syria is carried out primarily through the United Nations and international organizations," she said. "Sweden doesn't provide targeted support to Syrian Kurds or to the political or military structures in northeastern Syria, but the population in these areas is, of course, taking part in these aid projects."

Speaking Tuesday before a meeting of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Russia had left Sweden and Finland "no choice" but to join NATO.

She said Germany would support the two countries’ membership, calling it "a real gain" for the military alliance.

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World

NATO to Launch Strategic Airlift Fleet of A400M, Rutte Says

FILED - 19 May 2026, Belgium, Brussels: FILE PHOTO - A flag with the NATO logo flies in the wind in front of the NATO headquarters in Brussels. Photo: Elisa Schu/dpa
FILED - 19 May 2026, Belgium, Brussels: FILE PHOTO - A flag with the NATO logo flies in the wind in front of the NATO headquarters in Brussels. Photo: Elisa Schu/dpa
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NATO to Launch Strategic Airlift Fleet of A400M, Rutte Says

FILED - 19 May 2026, Belgium, Brussels: FILE PHOTO - A flag with the NATO logo flies in the wind in front of the NATO headquarters in Brussels. Photo: Elisa Schu/dpa
FILED - 19 May 2026, Belgium, Brussels: FILE PHOTO - A flag with the NATO logo flies in the wind in front of the NATO headquarters in Brussels. Photo: Elisa Schu/dpa

NATO will launch a strategic airlift fleet of Airbus A400M transport planes and add one aircraft to its existing fleet of A330 MRTT tanker planes, Secretary General Mark Rutte said on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Ankara on Tuesday. He was speaking at a defense industry gathering where allies unveiled arms deals worth billions of dollars to show they are heeding US calls to spend more to defend Europe before joining President Donald Trump for the summit starting in the evening.

"It is about air power, which is essential to strengthen our deterrence and defense," Rutte said.

The MRTT project has nine A330s, which can double as troop or passenger aircraft, based at Eindhoven, Netherlands. By adding another tanker, the military alliance will move closer to plugging gaps left in its defense plans after the United States reduced its contributions.

NATO is seeking to expand the fleet to 12 in the longer run. Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden participate in the programme.

The US has not publicly disclosed details of its cuts, but they range from refuelling aircraft to fighters, drones and ships, according to figures provided by a military source.

Trump has long accused European governments of over-relying on the US to defend them through NATO.

Airbus, which builds both the A400M airlifter and the A330 jet on which the tanker is based, said the shared A400M fleet would involve Belgium, Britain, France, Spain, Türkiye, Croatia, and Poland.

The announcement is a boost for the A400M, which was designed to meet a European shortfall in military cargo and troop transport to rugged areas. Exports have been slow to materialise, leaving doubts over its long-term future.

Airbus earlier this year toned down earlier warnings to investors over the long-term future of A400M production.

The new pool would initially be drawn from aircraft already in operation and then others in the industrial pipeline. Finally, a spokesperson said, the operation may eventually lead to new orders though it was premature to speculate on how many or when.

World

Kremlin Says Russia Will Follow NATO Summit Closely

People walk in Zaryadye Park near St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower in central Moscow, Russia, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Anastasia Barashkova
People walk in Zaryadye Park near St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower in central Moscow, Russia, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Anastasia Barashkova
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Kremlin Says Russia Will Follow NATO Summit Closely

People walk in Zaryadye Park near St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower in central Moscow, Russia, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Anastasia Barashkova
People walk in Zaryadye Park near St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower in central Moscow, Russia, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Anastasia Barashkova

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russia would closely monitor the outcome of the NATO summit in Türkiye, adding that a series of "confrontational" statements about Russia had preceded the event. NATO leaders are gathering in Ankara for meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, amid pressure from ‌US President Donald ‌Trump for Europe to step ‌up ⁠defense spending and ⁠following months of transatlantic friction over the Iran war and Greenland, Reuters said.

"This is an event that is of great interest, including to us. Of course, we will be monitoring all the news ⁠and information coming out of Ankara," Kremlin ‌spokesman Dmitry Peskov ‌told journalists.

He said a large number of ‌statements about Russia had been made ahead ‌of the summit. "To our regret, these were not statements about constructive engagement and dialogue, but rather statements of a confrontational nature," ‌he said, without giving further detail. On Monday, Trump said he would ⁠talk ⁠about the war in Ukraine at the summit and that a resolution to the more than four-year conflict was "getting closer than people realize."

Peskov said Russia hoped US "efforts to steer the entire situation onto a peaceful track (would) ultimately succeed. At the very least, we, as the Russian President has repeatedly said, remain open to this."

World

US Support for Israel Slips as Democrats Grow More Critical, Poll Finds

Tents and shelters are pictured next to rubble of collapsed buildings at a camp for people displaced by war in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City on July 6, 2026. (AFP)
Tents and shelters are pictured next to rubble of collapsed buildings at a camp for people displaced by war in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City on July 6, 2026. (AFP)
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US Support for Israel Slips as Democrats Grow More Critical, Poll Finds

Tents and shelters are pictured next to rubble of collapsed buildings at a camp for people displaced by war in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City on July 6, 2026. (AFP)
Tents and shelters are pictured next to rubble of collapsed buildings at a camp for people displaced by war in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City on July 6, 2026. (AFP)

After decades of reliable bipartisan backing for Israel, a new AP-NORC poll reveals a dramatic erosion of support for the longtime US ally, with rising opposition from Democrats and signs of division among Republicans.

The survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research arrives at a moment when a once-consensus foreign policy issue is increasingly polarizing Americans along partisan and generational lines, driven by criticism for Israel's conduct nearly three years after the outbreak of its latest war with Hamas in Gaza.

About one-third of US adults, including roughly half of Democrats, believe that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians during the war in Gaza, an accusation that’s been leveled by some human rights organizations and vehemently denied by Israel and the US government. About 2 in 10 Americans say Israel has not and the rest, about half, don’t know enough to say.

A similar share, 30%, of Jewish adults say Israel has committed genocide, although about half, 49%, say it has not.

Harold Kalmus, a 69-year-old Democrat from Arden, Delaware who describes himself as Jewish by birth, said he remembers being proud of Israel when he was younger. Not anymore.

“I realize that there is a threat from Hamas. And I realize they’re in a very difficult situation, but what they have done is just an unspeakable horror,” he said of Israel’s military action against the Palestinians. “They’re trying to wipe out a civilization as far as I’m concerned.”

The findings show sharply eroded views of Israel in the US, nearly three years after Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which left 1,200 people dead in Israel, mainly civilians, while 251 hostages were taken back to Gaza.

More than 73,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilian and militant deaths, including more than 1,000 killed since the beginning of the latest ceasefire.

American sympathies had been shifting toward the Palestinians and away from the Israelis since around 2020, according to other polling, but has nose-dived since the latest war in Gaza began.

Many Americans, about 4 in 10, don't know enough to say whether Israel’s immediate military response to Hamas’ attack or its ongoing military operations were justified. Among those who did have an opinion in each case, most say the initial retaliation was justified, but a majority think its current actions are not.

About three-quarters of Jewish adults said Israel's initial response was justified, but only about 4 in 10 believe that about its ongoing operations.

Only about one-third of US adults view Israel as an “extremely” or “very" important issue to them personally. But it's been a searing topic in American politics as the relationship between the two countries remains tense, just four months before high-stakes midterm elections determine the balance of power in Congress for President Donald Trump’s final two years in office.

Vice President JD Vance recently criticized Israeli leaders who have expressed frustration with Trump, while vocal critics of Israel recently defeated establishment-backed Democrats in New York and Colorado primaries.

Democrats' support for Israel drops

The AP-NORC poll reveals a decisive shift within the Democratic Party.

About 58% of Democrats now say the US is “too supportive” of the Israelis, up from 45% in an AP-NORC poll from January 2024 when former President Joe Biden was in office. That includes 51% of Jewish Democrats in the new poll.

Roughly 6 in 10 Democrats, 62%, say the US is “not supportive enough” of the Palestinians, up from 49% in 2024. Younger Democrats — those 45 and younger — are still more likely than older ones to say that the United States is “not supportive enough” of the Palestinians, but older Democrats are catching up to their younger counterparts. About 57% of older Democrats now say the US should do more for the Palestinians, up from 39% two years ago.

Joy Jennik, a 73-year-old Democrat from Brookfield, Wisconsin, said she didn’t have strong opinions about the US relationship with Israel until after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.

Now, she believes Israel is guilty of genocide.

“The Gaza Strip, there’s not a lot left of it. Those poor people are barely living,” said Jennik, a retired home economics teacher.

GOP stays behind Israel, but less so among young

Republicans Just a sliver of Republicans, 13%, describe Israel’s actions as genocide, although there is an apparent age gap. About 2 in 10 Republicans under 45 say Israel has committed genocide, while about 1 in 10 Republicans ages 45 and older say the same.

Overall, 60% of Republicans describe the US support for Israel as “about right." Only about 2 in 10 Republicans say that the United States is “too supportive” of the Israelis, although Republicans under 45 are more likely to say this.

The share of Republicans overall who say the US is “too supportive” of Israel has not changed meaningfully since 2024, but the share who say the US is “not supportive enough” has shrunk from 39% to 15%.

Mike Cardona, a 70-year-old Republican from suburban Phoenix, said he's pleased with the level of support that the US is giving Israel and rejects the notion that Israel has committed genocide.

“I wish they’d gone in harder and better,” Cardona, a retired industrial supply salesperson said of Israel's military action in Gaza. “Unfortunately, some innocents will be hurt, but Hamas and Hezbollah never took that into consideration when they were killing children and women in Israel.”

Netanyahu is broadly unpopular, while views of Mamdani are split

In interviews, several respondents emphasized that their criticism of Israel was focused on its leaders, especially Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is perceived as closely aligned with Trump after repeated clashes with Democratic presidents.

Overall, only 20% of US adults have a favorable view of the Israeli prime minister, while about twice as many, 38%, have an unfavorable view. About 41% don't know enough to have an opinion.

Netanyahu is particularly unpopular among Jewish adults: about 6 in 10 view him unfavorably, while about one-third see him positively.

Younger adults, regardless of party, are more likely than older adults to say they don't have an opinion about Netanyahu. But while older Republicans see Netanyahu more positively than negatively, younger Republicans' views tilt unfavorably.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has gained prominence as an outspoken critic of Israel, and 27% of US adults have a favorable opinion of the 34-year-old democratic socialist. Another 28% of US adults have an unfavorable opinion, while 44% don’t know enough to say.

Jewish adults, who overwhelmingly identify as Democrats, have a more positive view of Mamdani than of Netanyahu, with 44% viewing the New York City mayor positively, 39% viewing him negatively, and 17% saying they don't know enough to say.

About half of Democrats overall have a favorable impression of Mamdani and only about 1 in 10 have an unfavorable view of him, while the rest, about 39%, don't have an opinion.

Meanwhile, the US-Israel relationship is not top of mind for many Americans as they think about the upcoming midterm elections.

For people like Michael Ripka, a 34-year-old stage hand from Casper, Wyoming who typically votes Republican, the economy is by far the most important thing on his mind.

“Everything is mad expensive,” he said. The conflicts in the Middle East, he added, is “100% a very big distraction.”