Sweden Joins NATO: Centuries Of Neutrality End As Military Alliance Welcomes New Member

Sweden was officially welcomed as the 32nd member of NATO, nearly two years after submitting its initial application to the military alliance, on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, a statement from the Swedish government announced an extraordinary meeting to vote on NATO membership after receiving approval from all current members.

Photo Credit: X/@DrMMohanGupta

Sweden Joins NATO

Later in the day, NATO confirmed the news in a statement, with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg acknowledging Sweden's accession and emphasizing its contribution to strengthening the alliance. He expressed anticipation for hoisting Sweden's flag at NATO headquarters the following Monday.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson journeyed to Washington, D.C. this week to deliver the final documents. Sweden's application to join NATO was made in May 2022, a response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, signifying a departure from its longstanding policy of military non-alignment dating back to the Napoleonic Wars.

In a ceremony at the US State Department on March 7, 2024, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken received the NATO ratification documents from Prime Minister Kristersson, while Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom applauded. Kristersson hailed Sweden's NATO entry as a "victory for freedom," marking the end of two centuries of non-alignment following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as reported by CNBC TV.

It’s official – #Sweden is now the 32nd member of #NATO, taking its rightful place at our table. Sweden’s accession makes NATO stronger, Sweden safer, and the whole Alliance more secure. I look forward to raising their flag at NATO HQ on Monday.

— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) March 7, 2024

Finland's NATO membership last April was also influenced by Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Helsinki and Stockholm concluded that their nations were no longer safe on their own and applied to join the alliance a few months later.

The NATO accession process for Sweden faced delays from members Hungary and Turkey, who only voted in favor of it this year. Approval from all existing members is required for a new country to join the alliance, which upholds the principle that an attack on one member is an attack on all.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban's governing party in Hungary had long opposed Sweden's NATO membership due to criticism of Hungary's democracy. However, commitments to resolve differences were made during a meeting between the prime ministers of both countries in Budapest last month, as reported by AL Jazeera.

Turkey ratified Sweden's NATO membership in January, previously expressing concerns about Sweden's tolerance of groups viewed as security threats. Relations were strained further by anti-Muslim protests in Sweden last year.