After long negotiations, Sweden officially joins NATO – 03/08/2024 at 06:10

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine and two years of negotiations, Sweden officially became NATO's 32nd member on Thursday, ending the Scandinavian country's two centuries of neutrality and military non-alignment.

“Mr Prime Minister, welcome to NATO, the most powerful military alliance the world has ever seen,” US President Joe Biden told Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson in his State of the Union address on Thursday evening. US Congress.

“All things come to those who wait,” announced the head of US diplomacy, Anthony Blinken, in the morning when he received the official documents for Sweden's accession to the Atlantic alliance from the Swedish government.

Sweden's prime minister declared the move a “victory for freedom” at a ceremony in Washington.

Approval of the merger was secured after long negotiations with some members of the alliance through a hard-fought battle.

According to Antony Blinken, President Vladimir Putin determined that “its invasion of Ukraine is not an example today of a strategic failure for Russia”.

“This is a historic day,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement. “After 200 years of non-alignment, Sweden now benefits from the protection of Article 5, a total guarantee of the freedom and security of its members,” he added.

“With Sweden, the alliance is strong and our people are safe,” replied German diplomacy.

For Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Sweden is now “better protected against Russian malice” now that it is officially a member of NATO.

On Monday, the blue and yellow flag was to be raised in front of NATO headquarters in Brussels.

– “Sacrifices” –

Russia threatened last week with retaliatory measures “depending on the conditions and extent of Sweden's integration into NATO”.

With the addition of Sweden, after Finland, all states bordering the Baltic Sea, except Russia, are now members of the Atlantic Alliance.

Both countries, though militarily closer to the United States through membership in the European Union, have historically preferred to stay out of the Cold War-era alliance against the Soviet Union.

Although Sweden contributed to international peacekeeping forces, it had not experienced war since the conflict with Norway in 1814.

In reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Helsinki and Stockholm simultaneously announced their candidacy to join NATO in 2022.

Finland joined the alliance in April, but Sweden's accession process has been stalled by talks with Turkey, which the Scandinavian country accuses of harboring Kurdish activists on its soil, some consider “terrorists” by Ankara.

Sweden also had to deal with the reluctance of the Hungarian Prime Minister.

Viktor Orbán had offered his deal in principle long ago, but before completing the process, he demanded “respect” from Stockholm, years after he “discredited” his principles.

At the end of February, the Hungarian Parliament finally approved Sweden's membership in NATO.

According to a poll broadcast on SR radio on Friday, a majority of Swedes believe their country has made “too many sacrifices” to become a member of NATO, while agreeing that Sweden's security has been strengthened by this membership.

The apparent toughness of its leaders' rhetoric was accompanied by Swedish Armed Forces Chief of Staff Michael Biden declaring in January that his compatriots must “mentally prepare for war”.

In addition to its NATO candidacy, Sweden signed an agreement in December authorizing the US access to 17 military bases on its soil.