Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after their meeting in Istanbul on July 7. Photo: Tolga Bozoglu/Zuma PressAt the last minute, Turkey gave a gift to NATO, whose members gathered in Vilnius this week for a much-anticipated summit. It dropped its objections to Sweden’s entry into the alliance, confirming NATO’s transformation after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Not only have NATO member states given a remarkable amount of military aid to Ukraine. The alliance itself has grown to include Finland and will soon include Sweden, two affluent democracies that will strengthen NATO.

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Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Tolga Bozoglu Organizations: Zuma Press, NATO Locations: Istanbul, Turkey, Vilnius, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden