Sweden Finally Joins NATO After Almost Two Years of Wait

Sweden has officially joined the NATO military alliance, ending decades of neutrality. It is the 32nd member after it completing its accession process in Washington.

"Unity and solidarity will be Sweden's guiding lights as a NATO member," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a statement delivered in Washington, DC after a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Describing it as 'a historic day', The NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, "After over 200 years of non-alignment Sweden now enjoys the protection granted under Article 5, the ultimate guarantee of Allies' freedom and security".

The Swedish flag will be raised outside the military organization's headquarters in Brussels on Monday. "Sweden will now take its rightful place at NATOs table, with an equal say in shaping NATO's policies and decisions," Stoltenberg said in his statement.

Finland and Sweden had both applied to join the defense alliance in the wake of Russian President Putin ordering the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While Finland officially joined NATO last April, Sweden's bid was held up by Hungary and Turkey. For NATO, the accessions of Sweden and Finland are the most significant additions in decades as it shares a 830-mile border with Russia.

In response to Sweden's move, Russia has threatened to take unspecified "political and military-technical counter-measures", reported Reuters.

The move came just hours before U.S. President Joe Biden is set to deliver his State of the Union address, in which he is expected to draw sharp contrasts between his stance on issues of democracy and key alliances like NATO and that of his predecessor Donald Trump.

Biden, in a statement, said the addition of Sweden made NATO "more united, determined, and dynamic than ever," adding that the accession of Sweden and Finland to the alliance meant the addition of "two highly capable militaries."

Later on Thursday, Kristersson will visit the White House and then be a guest of honour at President Joe Biden's State of the Union address to Congress.

Sweden's membership had been held up due to objections by NATO members Turkey and Hungary. Initially, Turkey had expressed concern that Sweden was harboring and not taking enough action against Kurdish groups that it regards as terrorists, and Hungary's populist President Viktor Orban has shown pro-Russian sentiment and not shared the alliance's determination to support Ukraine. After months of delay, Turkey approved Sweden's admission earlier this year and Hungary did so this week.

NATO's next annual summit will be held in July in Washington, DC, and will mark the alliance's 75th anniversary.