China 'trying to have it both ways' with Russia, Antony Blinken tells Euronews

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year triggered Finland's application to NATO along with that of Sweden. On Tuesday, Helsinki completed the fastest accession process in the alliance's history. But Sweden, for the moment, remains left behind.

Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine rages on, and China's position is sparking fresh concerns from NATO chief, Jens Stoltenberg, who has accused Beijing of spreading the Kremlin's wartime narrative and sustaining its economy. 

Euronews' Efi Koutsokosta spoke to US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, in Brussels to discuss Finland, Sweden, Turkey, Taiwan and US-China relations, for this latest episode of the Global Conversation.

Finland on Tuesday officially became the 31st member of the NATO military alliance. 

But in a statement, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö insisted that "Finland's membership is not complete without that of Sweden."

Euronews began by asking Antony Blinken for his thoughts on Sweden's chances of joining the alliance. 

"I'm convinced that it will happen. It will happen soon. I fully anticipate that by the Vilnius summit, the leaders' summit of NATO, that'll take place in July, that Sweden will join Finland as the two newest members of NATO.

"There's a process. And of course, virtually every NATO country has already ratified Sweden's membership. Turkey and Hungary have not yet. But based on everything I heard, including virtually every ally in the meetings that we had just today and yesterday, calling for Sweden to join Finland as soon as possible. And I think with the leaders summit coming up in Vilnius, again, I would anticipate that that process will be complete by Vilnius," Blinken said.

When Turkey’s parliament ratified Finland’s application to join NATO in