By Bryan Pinero
On March 7th, 2024, Sweden officially joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), becoming the organization’s 32nd member. The nation was finally admitted into the alliance after applying almost two years ago. According to an article by CNN, Sweden’s decision to join NATO came as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, an event that urged them to replan their defense policy and leave their “long-held position of neutrality.”
After months of trying to gain support from NATO members to allow Sweden into the alliance, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson would finalize the process by handing accession documents to the US State Department in Washington, DC. After receiving the documents, the US would place them in a vault at the State Department, which serves as the treaty depositary for NATO.
“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,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
This is not the first time Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted a country to join NATO. In April 2023, Finland became a member due to this event. When the invasion began in February 2022, authorities in the capital cities of both nations believed they were no longer safe alone, and decided to apply to the alliance.
When applying to NATO, all existing members in the alliance must first approve of the country’s admission into it. Sweden’s admission into NATO was being delayed by two countries: Hungary and Turkey.
According to an article by CNBC, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban was opposing Sweden’s admission into NATO after some criticism from Sweden about the “state of democracy” in Hungary. However, the prime ministers of both nations met last month in Budapest, where they agreed to cooperate despite their differences, advancing Sweden’s admission into NATO.
Turkey, in turn, said that Sweden was “too tolerant” of groups that the Turkish government saw as threats. These relations were worsened by “Anti-Muslim protests” that occurred in Sweden last year. However, in January Turkey approved of Sweden’s membership into NATO.
With NATO’s next annual summit being in July later this year, we shall see what Sweden has to offer and say to the alliance after ending its almost 200 years of military neutrality. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has already caused nations like Finland and now Sweden to join NATO, so it is possible other nations may soon follow the same path and join the alliance as well.
