Deutsche Welle :
After two centuries of neutrality and two years of diplomacy, Sweden officially became the 32nd member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) on Thursday, the US government said.
Both the Swedish and US governments had indicated earlier in the day that the process would be finalized on Thursday during Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s visit to Washington.
“We will strive for unity, solidarity and burden-sharing, and will fully adhere to the Washington Treaty values: freedom, democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law. Stronger together,” the Swedish prime minister’s official account said in a post on X.
US President Joe Biden said he was “honored to welcome” Sweden as the alliance’s newest member, adding that transatlantic security was stronger than ever.
Sweden’s Nato accession went into effect after Sweden’s “instrument of accession” to the alliance was officially deposited at the State Department.
“This is a historic moment for Sweden. It’s historic for alliance. It’s history for the transatlantic relationship,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the accession ceremony.
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrote on X that “Sweden’s accession makes Nato stronger, Sweden safer, and the whole Alliance more secure.”
“Today is a truly historic day. Sweden is now a member of Nato,” Kristersson said. “We will defend freedom together with the countries closest to us – both in terms of geography, culture and values,” he added.
The Swedish flag is expected to be hoisted at Nato headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Monday.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has justified his war in Ukraine by claiming that Nato had promised Russia it would not expand after the Cold War. Such an agreement was never made.
Blinken said that few would have expected Sweden and Finland to join the alliance before Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Finland joined Nato last year.
