Sweden officially joins NATO military alliance
Sweden today (7 March) formally joined NATO and became the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance.
The move ends decades of post-World War II neutrality for the Nordic nation amid a spike security concerns in Europe following Russiaâs invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
US President Joe Biden congratulated Sweden on its admission and said it was a sign that Russian President Vladimir Putinâs intervention in Ukraine had united, rather than divided, the alliance.
He said: âWhen Putin launched his brutal war of aggression against the people of Ukraine, he thought he could weaken Europe and divide NATO.
âInstead, in May 2022, Sweden and Finland â two of our close partners, with two highly capable militaries â made the historic decision to apply for full NATO membership.
âWith the addition of Sweden today, NATO stands more united, determined, and dynamic than everânow 32 nations strong.â
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Secretary of State Antony Blinken presided at a ceremony in which Swedenâs âinstrument of accessionâ to the alliance was officially deposited at the State Department.
âThis is a historic moment for Sweden. Itâs historic for the alliance. Itâs historic for the transatlantic relationship,â Mr Blinken said, adding: âOur NATO alliance is now stronger, larger than itâs ever been.â
âToday is truly a historic day,â Kristersson said. âWe are humbled, but we are also proud. We will live up to high expectations from all NATO allies. United we stand. Unity and solidarity will be Swedenâs guiding light.
Later today Mr Kristersson will visit the White House and then be a guest of honor at Bidenâs State of the Union address.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also described it as âa historic day.â
âSweden will now take its rightful place at NATOâs table, with an equal say in shaping NATO policies and decisions,â he said in a statement.
The Swedish flag will be raised outside the military organizationâs headquarters in Brussels on Monday. Stoltenberg underscored that the Nordic country ânow enjoys the protection granted under Article 5, the ultimate guarantee of alliesâ freedom and security.â
The Nordic country applied to join Nato following Russiaâs invasion of Ukraine in 2022
Article 5 of NATOâs treaty obliges all members to come to the aid of an ally whose territory or security is under threat.
It has only been activated once â by the US after the September 11 attacks in 2001.
âSwedenâs accession makes NATO stronger, Sweden safer and the whole alliance more secure,â Stoltenberg said.
He added that the move âdemonstrates that NATOâs door remains open and that every nation has the right to choose its own path.â
Sweden, along with Finland, which joined NATO last year, both abandoned long-standing military neutrality that was a hallmark of the Nordic statesâ Cold War foreign policy after Russia invaded Ukraine.
In Mr Bidenâs speech to Congress he was expected to use Swedenâs decision to join to step up calls for reluctant Republicans to approve stalled military assistance to Ukraine as the war enters its third year.
Swedenâs membership had been held up due to objections by NATO members Turkey and Hungary.
Turkey expressed concern that Sweden was harboring and not taking enough action against Kurdish groups that it regards as terrorists.
Hungaryâs populist President Viktor Orban has shown pro-Russian sentiment and not shared the allianceâs determination to support Ukraine.
After months of delay, Turkey ratified Swedenâs admission earlier this year, and Hungary did so this week.
Additional reporting by AP.