Sweden has formally joined Nato as the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance, ending decades of post-second World War neutrality as concerns about Russian aggression have spiked after the invasion of Ukraine.
Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson and US secretary of state Antony Blinken presided at a ceremony in which Sweden’s “instrument of accession” to the alliance was officially deposited.
“This is a historic moment for Sweden. It’s historic for alliance. It’s history for the transatlantic relationship,” Mr Blinken said. “Our Nato alliance is now stronger, larger than it’s ever been.”
Later on Thursday, Mr 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.
The White House said that having Sweden as a Nato ally “will make the United States and our allies even safer”.
“Nato is the most powerful defensive alliance in the history of the world, and it is as critical today to ensuring the security of our citizens as it was 75 years ago when our alliance was founded out of the wreckage of World War Two,” a spokesperson said.
Sweden, along with Finland which joined Nato last year, both abandoned long-standing military neutrality that was a hallmark of the Nordic states’ Cold War foreign policy, after Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022.
Mr Biden, in his speech to Congress, is expected to cite Sweden’s accession to Nato as evidence that Russian president Vladimir Putin’s intent to divide and weaken the alliance has failed as a direct result of the Ukraine invasion.
And the President is expected to use Sweden’s decision to join to step up calls for reluctant Republicans to approved stalled military assistance to Ukraine as the war enters its third year.
Sweden’s membership had been held up due to objections by Nato members Turkey and Hungary.
Turkey expressed concern that Sweden was harbouring 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 ratified Sweden’s admission earlier this year and Hungary did so this week. – AP