Tayyip Erdogan (left) and Ulf Kristersson shake hands in front of Jens Stoltenberg in Vilnius on Monday. AFP

Gulf Today Report

Nato's summit began on Tuesday with fresh momentum after Turkey withdrew its objections to Sweden joining the alliance, a step toward the unity that Western leaders have been eager to demonstrate in the face of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The decision by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a significant move toward Sweden's membership and it will alleviate tension in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital. The deal was reached after days of intensive meetings, and it's poised to expand the alliance's strength in Northern Europe.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he was "very happy" and hailed "a good day for Sweden".

Sweden's bid must still be approved by the Turkish parliament, and Erdogan has agreed to push for its ratification.

Hungary is also yet to greenlight Stockholm's bid, but Prime Minister Viktor Orban has signalled he will follow Erdogan's lead.

US President Joe Biden, also in Vilnius for the summit, thanked Stoltenberg and said: "I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO ally."

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also welcomed the "good news" on Twitter.

"Rumors of the death of Nato’s unity were greatly exaggerated," Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, told reporters triumphantly on Tuesday morning.

As part of the deal, Erdogan said he would ask Turkey's parliament to approve Sweden joining Nato. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, another holdout, is expected to take a similar step.

The outcome is a victory for President Joe Biden as well, who has touted Nato's expansion as an example of how Russia's invasion of Ukraine has backfired on Moscow.

Finland has already become the 31st member of the alliance, and Sweden is on deck to become the 32nd. Both Nordic countries were historically nonaligned until the war increased fears of Russian aggression.

Because of the deal on Sweden's membership, "this summit is already historic before it has started,” Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

Biden was scheduled to meet with Erdogan on Tuesday evening, and it's unclear how some of Erdogan's other demands will be resolved. He has been seeking advanced American fighter jets and a path toward membership in the European Union. The White House has expressed support for both, but publicly insisted that the issues were not related to Sweden's membership in Nato.

"I stand ready to work with President Erdogan and Turkey on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area,” Biden said in a statement late Monday.

The phrasing was a nod to Biden's commitment to help Turkey acquire new F-16 fighter jets, according to an administration official who was not authorized to comment publicly.

The Biden administration has backed Turkey’s desire to buy 40 new F-16s as well as modernization kits from the US. It's a move some in Congress, most notably Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, D-N.J, have opposed over Turkey blocking Nato membership for Sweden, its human rights record and other concerns.