WASHINGTON: Sweden joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Thursday (7 March), two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced the country to review its national security policy.
The Scandinavian country then concluded that joining NATO was the best security guarantee.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson submitted the final documents to the US government, the final step after a long process of gaining support from all members to join the military alliance.
“Good things come to those who wait,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken when receiving Sweden’s accession documents from Kristersson.
Blinken said “everything changed” after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, citing poll results showing a major shift in Swedish opinion regarding membership in NATO.
“Swedes realized something very profound: If Putin dares try to wipe one neighbor off the map, then he probably won’t stop there.”
For NATO, the accession of Sweden and Finland – which share a 1,340km border with Russia – is the most significant expansion of membership in recent decades. It is also a blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin who has sought to prevent further strengthening of the alliance.
Sweden would benefit from the alliance’s mutual defense guarantee in which an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
“Sweden is a safer country today than yesterday. We have allies. We have support,” Kristersson said in a speech to the Swedish people from Washington.
“We have taken out insurance on the Western defense alliance.”
Hakan Yucel, 54, an IT worker in the Swedish capital, said: “Before, we were on the outside and felt a bit alone… I think the threat from Russia, it will be much less now.”
US President Joe Biden said Sweden’s joining makes NATO “more united, empowered and dynamic than ever,” adding that Sweden and Finland’s accession to the alliance means the addition of “two very capable military powers.”
Swedish membership would provide state-of-the-art submarines and a fleet of domestically produced Gripen fighters to NATO forces, and constitute an important bridge between the Atlantic and the Baltics.
“Sweden’s accession makes NATO stronger, Sweden safer, and the entire Alliance more secure,” said NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg.
Russia has threatened to take “political and military countermeasures” in response to Sweden’s move.
“Joining NATO is like buying insurance, at least as long as the United States is actually willing to be the insurance provider,” said Barbara Kunz, a researcher at the defense institute SIPRI.
Although Stockholm has moved closer to NATO over the past two decades, this membership marks a clear break with previous policy, when for more than 200 years, Sweden avoided military alliances and adopted a neutral stance in times of war.
After World War II, Sweden established an international reputation as a defender of human rights, and since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, different governments have reduced military spending.
Until 2021, Sweden’s defense minister still rejects NATO membership.
Neighboring Finland joined NATO last year. Sweden had to wait because Turkey and Hungary, both of which have close ties to Russia, delayed ratifying Sweden’s membership.
Türkiye finally agreed to Sweden’s application last January.
Hungary postponed a decision on Sweden’s membership until Kristersson paid a courtesy visit to Budapest on February 23 when the two countries agreed on a fighter aircraft agreement.
