US looking forward to Sweden becoming NATO member before July summit: Austin

Swedish Minister for Defence Pal Jonson and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hold a news conference at Musko Naval Base, Sweden April 19, 2023. TT News Agency/Fredrik Sandberg via REUTERS

MUSKO, Sweden (Reuters) - The United States looks forward to welcoming Sweden as a NATO member before the alliance's upcoming summit in July and will encourage Turkey and Hungary to ratify accession, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday during a visit to Sweden.

Along with Finland, Sweden applied to join NATO in May last year. Finland's application was processed in record time and it became the thirty-first member of the alliance earlier this month.