Honduras Election Turmoil Deepens as Nasralla Alleges Fraud in Tight Presidential Race 
Cuba Quietly Signals Openness to Post-Maduro Venezuela as U.S. Pressure Intensifies 
California Launches Portal for Reporting Alleged Misconduct by Federal Immigration Agents 
Trump Administration Tightens H-1B Visa Vetting With New Focus on Free Speech and Censorship 
U.S. Appeals Court Rules Trump Can Remove Members of Key Federal Labor Boards 
Australia and Japan Strengthen Defence Cooperation Amid Rising Regional Tensions 
Hong Kong Faces Low Turnout in “Patriots-Only” Election Amid Public Grief After Deadly Fire 
Trump’s New U.S. Strategy Seeks to Deter China and Protect Taiwan 
Escalating Conflict in Eastern Congo Despite U.S.-Brokered Peace Efforts 
Maduro Confirms “Respectful” Call With Trump, Signals Openness to Diplomatic Dialogue 
Putin and U.S. Envoy Witkoff Hold “Truly Friendly” Talks as Ukraine Peace Efforts Intensify 
Australia Imposes Sanctions on Taliban Officials Over Human Rights Abuses 
Trump’s Name Appears on U.S. Institute of Peace Ahead of Rwanda–Congo Deal Signing 
Honduras Awaits Final Election Results as Asfura Holds Slim Lead Amid U.S. Attention 
Pentagon Probe Finds Hegseth’s Use of Signal Risked Exposing Sensitive Yemen Strike Details 
Drones Spotted Near Zelenskiy’s Flight Path in Ireland Trigger Security Alert 
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington strongly supports the immediate accession of Sweden and Finland into NATO during a visit to Turkey. Blinken said the two Nordic countries have already taken the steps that were laid out in the trilateral memorandum they have with Turkey.
Blinken said on Monday that the United States strongly supports the quick accession of Finland and Sweden into the NATO alliance, saying that Helsinki and Stockholm have already taken the necessary steps in the memorandum of agreement they have with Turkey. Finland and Sweden have jointly applied for NATO membership as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and only Turkey and Hungary have yet to ratify the two countries’ bids to join the alliance.
Turkey is seen as the main holdout in Finland and Sweden’s NATO bids. Ankara says Sweden is harboring members of what Turkey considers terrorist groups. Following protests in Stockholm in January, Turkey has hinted that it may only consider Finland’s application than Sweden’s.
“Finland and Sweden have already taken concrete steps to fulfill the commitments that they met under the trilateral memorandum of agreement that they signed,” said Blinken, reiterating that the issue of NATO’s Nordic expansion is not a bilateral one with Turkey and that the US strongly supports Finland and Sweden’s immediate accession into the alliance.
However, Blinken’s Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavosoglu said all parties in the NATO alliance must convince Sweden to take more action in order to address Turkey’s concerns. Cavosoglu said Sweden still needed to do more when pressed if Turkey would approve Stockholm’s accession by the annual NATO summit in July.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden is set to reassure NATO allies of security in the alliance’s eastern flank this week. Biden arrived in Poland on Monday after making a surprise visit to Ukraine. The US leader is set to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda and before leaving Warsaw, Biden will meet with the leaders of the Bucharest Nine, the eastern flank NATO allies, to reassure support for their security.
“President Biden will make clear that the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine, as you’ve heard him say many times, for as long as it takes,” said White House national security spokesperson John Kirby.
