Sweden had to be patient for a long time. After Hungary ratified the Scandinavians’ application for NATO membership, the country is now part of the military alliance.
Almost two years after applying to join, Sweden is now officially a member of NATO. Sweden’s accession to NATO was sealed on Thursday during a visit to Washington by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. There he handed over the certificate of accession to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken after the US State Department confirmed receipt of the Hungarian consent.
The Scandinavian country is now the 32nd member of the alliance. That is twice as many as during the Cold War. “Sweden is a strong democracy with a highly capable military that shares our values and vision for the world,” the White House said in a press statement. With Sweden as an ally, the USA and its allies are even safer.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke of a “historic day”. After more than 200 years of non-alignment, Sweden now enjoys the protection afforded by Article 5, “the ultimate guarantee of the freedom and security of the Allies.” At the same time, Sweden’s accession also makes NATO stronger. The country has an efficient armed forces and a first-class defense industry. Stoltenberg has recently repeatedly emphasized that, in his view, Finland and Sweden joining the alliance is a clear sign of the failure of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s policies.
Sweden’s instrument of accession had to be previously deposited with the US State Department. This is the so-called depository of the founding treaty of NATO and is responsible for registering documents relating to the so-called North Atlantic Treaty.
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Hungary was the last to agree to Sweden’s accession
In addition, the document containing Hungary’s consent still had to be officially deposited. Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok only signed it on Tuesday. The necessary parliamentary decision had previously been delayed for a long time.
The approval finally only came after Kristersson visited Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Several agreements on arms cooperation were announced. Among other things, Hungary is buying four new Jas 39 Gripen fighter jets from Sweden. Before Hungary, Turkey in particular had blocked Sweden’s accession to NATO for a long time. In the end, the country only gave the necessary consent after Sweden had pledged greater efforts in the fight against terrorist organizations such as the PKK.
military alliance
From the Cold War to the Russian invasion of Ukraine: the history of NATO in pictures
Under the impression of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sweden decided in 2022 to apply for membership in NATO after many years of freedom from military alliances. Finland was also there, having been welcomed into the alliance as the 31st member in April last year. According to Stoltenberg, there will be a ceremony marking Sweden’s accession at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Monday. The Swedish flag will also be hoisted in front of the alliance headquarters.
Note: This article has been updated.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
