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Transcript/Script: Washington Week Ahead (TV)
HEADLINE: Blinken Meets European Counterparts as Finland Seeks NATO Membership
TEASER: Two European nations seek NATO membership; Russia issues warnings
PUBLISHED AT: 05/15/2022 at 3:52 pm
BYLINE: Arash Arabasadi
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Washington
VIDEOGRAPHER: AP/ AFP/ REUTERS/ “State of the Union”/Twitter/ ABC “This Week”/ Swedish Armed Forces
PRODUCER: Arash Arabasadi
SCRIPT EDITORS: SV, MPage
NOTE: PART GRAPHIC CONTENT
VIDEO SOURCE (S): AP/ AFP/ REUTERS/ “State of the Union”/Twitter/ ABC “This Week”/ Swedish Armed Forces
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO __
TRT: 2:38
VID APPROVED BY: mia
TYPE:
UPDATE: updated with courtesy for video swap of Finnish border ))
((INTRO))
[[U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the United States supports Finland and Sweden applying for NATO membership. This follows statements from those countries’ leaders in the wake of Russia’s ongoing and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Leaders say the war has them rethinking their own security. A warning: some viewers may find images in this report disturbing. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.]]
((VAR, FIGHTING, OUTSKIRTS OF KHARKIV, UKRAINE, AP, 05/14))
((NATS POP: INCOMING SHELLING))
((NARRATOR))
On the outskirts of Kharkiv, Ukrainian forces continue clearing villages retaken from Russian soldiers and searching house-by-house for Russians who may still be in the area. After Russia for weeks bombarded Ukraine’s second-largest city, the Ukrainian military says Russian troops are in retreat from Kharkiv.
((VAR, BODIES, KHARKIV, UKRAINE, AP, 05/15))
((GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING: BODIES))
((NARRATOR))
Officials say they’ve found at least 41 bodies of dead Russian soldiers there.
((NATO FAMILY PHOTO VID, BERLIN, GERMANY, AP/POOL, 05/15))
((NARRATOR))
Top NATO diplomats met Sunday in Berlin to discuss further support for Ukraine and plans by Finland and Sweden to join the world’s biggest military alliance, which has been feeding weapons to Ukraine throughout the war.
[RADIO TRACK: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaking Sunday at a news conference as carried by AP.]
((Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State))
“Allies were joined here, in Berlin, by the foreign ministers from Sweden and Finland. Both countries are close and valued defense partners of NATO and the United States, and the United States would strongly support NATO application by either Sweden or Finland should they choose to formally apply to the alliance.”
((ARCHIVE, VAR, FINNISH/RUSSIAN BORDER, NUIJAMAA, FINLAND, AFP, 03/10/2022))
((NARRATOR))
Finland shares a border with Russia stretching more than 13-hundred kilometers ((1335.8)). On Sunday, it formally announced its intention to apply to join NATO.
((BORDER SIGN WITH RED HAND/BORDER PATROL, NUIJAMAA, FINLAND, AFP/FBG, 2022 AND 2017))
((mandatory cg Finnish Border Guard))
Russian President Vladimir Putin says seeking NATO membership would be a mistake. Finland’s president spoke with his Russian counterpart and said he was surprised at how calmly he took the news of Finland’s plan to join NATO.
[RADIO TRACK: Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö speaking Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”]
((mandatory cg “State of the Union” / Twitter))
((Sauli Niinistö, President of Finland))
“I wanted just to confirm that now the situation is changed. We are going to apply ((for NATO)) membership. And, in the same way, he ((Putin)) confirmed that he thinks it’s a mistake. ‘We are not threatening you.’ Altogether, the discussion was, would I say, very calm and cool.”
((VAR, FINNISH SOLDIERS TRAINING, SETERMOEN, NORWAY, AFP, 03/22))
((NARRATOR))
Finland’s parliament would have to approve a formal bid to join NATO, but the president’s announcement follows a parliamentary recommendation this week to do so. But membership takes time, and it’s unclear if Russia would preemptively punish the European nation.
((VAR, TURKISH GOVERNMENT MEETING, ANKARA, TURKEY, AP/TPO, 04/26))
((mandatory cg Turkish President's Office))
((NARRATOR))
Another sticking point is Turkey's opposition to Finland and Sweden joining NATO, as membership requires a unanimous vote.
((VAR, DRONE, IRPIN CEMETARY, UKRAINE, REUTERS, 05/13))
((NARRATOR))
All of this is little comfort for Ukraine as that country’s been fighting off a Russian invasion since February.
[RADIO TRACK: Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishyna speaking Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”]
((mandatory cg ABC “This Week”))
((Olga Stefanishyna, Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister))
“What we see with the now-position of Sweden and Finland who ((have)) decided to apply for NATO membership – and the response from the Allies – that this application will be considered and fulfilled immediately, only serves one very obvious argument that NATO has learned from its mistakes and the political mistakes which ((have)) been done.”
((VAR, SWEDISH MILITARY TRAINING, GOTLAND, SWEDEN, AFP/SAF, 05/14))
((mandatory cg Swedish Armed Forces))
((NARRATOR))
Finland’s parliament is expected to vote on joining NATO in the coming days with Sweden likely to follow.
((Arash Arabasadi, VOA News.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Washington D.C
Embargo DateMay 15, 2022 13:33 EDT
Byline((Arash Arabasadi, VOA News.))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English, VOA Afrique
