US President Joe Biden has expressed support for Turkey's acquisition of F-16 fighter jets. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that his country does not link the sale of fighter jets to Sweden's accession to NATO.
Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last year, abandoning longstanding policies of military non-alignment following Russia's war in Ukraine. Turkey and Hungary have so far not agreed to Stockholm's request to become a member of the alliance. The consent of all NATO members is a condition for any new member to join.