Sweden finally joined NATO

On March 7, Sweden became NATO's 32nd member in the shadow of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, turning the page on two centuries of non-alignment and ending two years of torturous diplomacy.
Days after Hungary followed Turkey in becoming the latest NATO member to sign the treaty, Sweden solemnly handed over its accession documents to the United States, the leading power of the transatlantic alliance that promises common security for all.
"This is an important step, but at the same time a very natural step," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson said at the State Department.
"This is a victory for freedom today. Sweden made a free, democratic, sovereign and united choice to join NATO," he said.
He later made a televised address to the nation from Washington in which he told the Swedes: "We are a small country, but more than most we understand the importance of the big world beyond our borders."
US President Joe Biden, whose rival Donald Trump has dismissed NATO as unfairly burdening the US, said that with Sweden the alliance is stronger and "more united, determined and dynamic than ever".
Later on Thursday, the Swedish prime minister was scheduled to attend the annual State of the Union address by Biden, who is struggling to convince Trump's GOP to approve new aid to Ukraine.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said few expected Sweden, as well as Finland, to join NATO before Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
There is "no clearer example than today of the strategic failure that Putin's invasion of Ukraine has become for Russia," Blinken said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also welcomed Sweden's membership, saying: "Another country in Europe has become more protected from Russian evil."
Sweden has not been involved in a war since the Napoleonic conflicts in the early 19th century.
Sweden and Finland, though militarily tied to the United States and both members of the European Union, have historically avoided joining NATO, which was created during the Cold War to unite against the Soviet Union.
Finland and Sweden launched a joint bid quickly after the invasion of Ukraine, which was unsuccessfully trying to join NATO, an alliance that under Article 5 considers an attack on one member an attack on all.
Finland successfully joined in April 2023, but Sweden's membership was suspended by Turkey.
"Good things happen to those who wait," Blinken said when he received the documents from Sweden. "Some doubted we would make it this far."
Russia has threatened to take "countermeasures" in connection with Sweden's entry into NATO, especially if the alliance's troops and assets are deployed in the country.
Sweden's blue and yellow flag is expected to be raised at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on Monday.
Other NATO allies welcomed the expansion. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called NATO "the most successful defense alliance in history," and the German Foreign Ministry said of Sweden: "It's good to know you're firmly on our side."
Before agreeing to ratify membership, Turkey used its influence to pressure Sweden, known for its liberal asylum policy, to crack down on Kurdish fighters campaigning against Ankara.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later demanded action after protesters using Sweden's free speech laws desecrated Islam's holy book, the Koran.
As a clear, if unclear, sweetener, the United States offered F-16 warplanes to Turkey, which is facing the wrath of US sanctions over a major military purchase from Russia.
In January, the Biden administration approved a $23 billion purchase of F-16 warplanes for Turkey quickly after it ratified Sweden's membership.
At the same time, the United States launched an $8.6 billion project for more advanced F-35 fighter jets for Greece, a NATO member and historical adversary of Turkey.
Even with Turkey's blessing, Sweden faced another hurdle as it needed the approval of the last country, Hungary, whose nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has often wagged the finger at Western allies.
The Hungarian Parliament ratified Sweden's membership on 26 February. But in the latest setback, Hungary was unable to sign the accession document due to a brief absence from the largely ceremonial presidency after an Orbán ally resigned over the pardon of a convicted accomplice of a child abuser./BGNES