Sweden officially joins NATO military alliance, sheds neutrality stance
Sweden on Thursday formally joined NATO as the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance, ending decades of postSecond World War neutrality and centuries of broader nonalignment with major powers as security concerns in Europe have spiked following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken presided at a ceremony in which Sweden’s “instrument of accession” to the alliance was officially deposited at the U.S. State Department.
“This is a historic moment for Sweden. It’s historic for the alliance. It’s historic for the transatlantic relationship,” Blinken said. “Our NATO alliance is now stronger, larger than it’s ever been.”
“Today is truly a historic day,” Kristersson said. “We 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 Sweden’s guiding light.
U.S. President Joe Biden congratulated Sweden on its admission and said it was a sign that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intervention in Ukraine had united, rather than divided, the alliance. “When Putin launched his brutal war of aggression against the people of Ukraine, he thought he could weaken Europe and divide NATO,” Biden said.
“Instead, in May 2022, Sweden and Finland — two of our close partners, with two highly capable militaries — made the historic decision to apply for full NATO membership,” Biden said. “With the addition of Sweden today, NATO stands more united, determined, and dynamic than ever — now 32 nations strong.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also described it as “a historic day.”
“Sweden will now take its rightful place at NATO’s table, with an equal say in shaping NATO policies and decisions,” he said in a statement.
The Swedish flag will be raised outside the military organization’s headquarters in Brussels on Monday. Stoltenberg underscored that the Nordic country “now enjoys the protection granted under Article 5, the ultimate guarantee of allies’ freedom and security.”