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Stoltenberg will discuss membership of Finland and Sweden in NATO on June 1 in Washington

01 June 2022 05:02 (UTC +04:00)

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is traveling to Washington, D.C., to meet with top Biden administration officials this week, APA reports.

The NATO chief is set to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Thursday, and he's supposed to sit down with national security adviser Jake Sullivan, though it's unclear when based on a Tuesday statement from the alliance.

Stoltenberg and Blinken have spoken frequently as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its fourth month. The two sides spoke on May 18, May 14, April 6, and March 22. Their most recent conversation occurred after Finland and Sweden formally applied to join the NATO alliance weeks ago.

The two European countries have sought entry into NATO in an attempt to deter a Russian invasion and bolster their own military.