Ukraine war live updates: Europe's divisions over Ukraine and Russia are in plain sight as NATO allies meet to discuss the war
Sweden's foreign minister said that the country expects Hungary to ratify its much-awaited accession to the NATO military alliance as soon as Turkey approves it.
NATO member Turkey raised objections to Sweden's application, accusing Sweden of harboring individuals it deems to be terrorists. Hungary has also dragged its feet about ratifying Sweden's accession.
But Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told CNBC on Wednesday that Hungary's foreign minister had promised to not be the last country to ratify Sweden's accession, saying this would likely happen as soon as Turkey had given its own green light to the process.
"That means it is more in the hands of Ankara than maybe of Budapest. We expect white smoke from Budapest the moment there is white smoke from Ankara, to put it very bluntly," he told CNBC's Silvia Amaro in Brussels.
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban "has repeatedly said that Hungary won't be the last to ratify Sweden's membership," Billstrom said, noting that Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto had once again confirmed this to him on Tuesday.
— Holly Ellyatt
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