une's NATO summit in Madrid will be a "historic" opportunity to strengthen the alliance in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking at a ceremony in Madrid dedicated to the 40th anniversary of Spain's membership in NATO, AP reported.

Stoltenberg said he was looking forward to meeting Sweden and Finland at the summit, which will be held in the Spanish capital on June 29-30.

But the leader of the alliance did not pay attention to Turkey's unwillingness to open the doors of Sweden and Finland. Turkey, which commands the second largest army in NATO after the United States, has cited alleged Scandinavian support for Kurdish rebels, whom Ankara considers terrorists, as a reason for rejecting their applications. The accession of new NATO members requires unanimous support.

Earlier, Stoltenberg expressed confidence that Turkey could be persuaded to abandon its position.

The summit will redefine NATO's strategic priorities for the next decade, which Stoltenberg said include fighting Chinese ambitions, the rise of anti-democratic states, climate change and instability in Africa. But the main topic will be the war in Ukraine.