Biden to host leaders of Sweden, Finland amid NATO bids

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will host leaders of Sweden and Finland at the White House for a meeting Thursday as the two nations seek to join NATO in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The White House announced Tuesday that Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden and President Sauli Niinistö of Finland will meet with Biden to discuss the two countries’ applications to join the mutual defense alliance, as well as European security broadly. Turkey has expressed reservations about the two countries’ bid to joint NATO, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to meet with his Turkish counterpart on the sidelines of the UN on Wednesday.