Breaking news and current events worldwide.
Yeah, he's just in a really strong position and we're not. Have to buy him off with something tasty enough, and you'd think that wouldn't be hard with his economic woes. Eventually he's going to need money.
In the meantime, Sweden is in no danger and neither is NATO. Annoying though. He's very annoying. He certainly knows this, and because he's our best inside line to negotiating with the Russians, he doesn't have to care.
he’s our best inside line to negotiating with the Russians
He also controls some extremely strategic land. Again, he knows it and is leveraging that fact, plus what you mentioned, for some kickback that likely won't be publicly announced as a trade, just something nice we happen to do for them (as you said, likely helping them fix their economy) around the same time they vote yes.
It was theorized before that we had to wait for the election to finish to get any movement, since he was worried approving Sweden in might move the needle just a hair, a hair that may have pushed the needle too far. Now that that election is over, hopefully this shit gets done.
What other strategic locations hold as much power globally as that connection to the black sea.
The other one that comes to mind is the Panama Canal.
The melting arctic will create one which control will be fought over