Sweden joins NATO

On March 7, Sweden officially became the 32nd member of NATO. What are the consequences?

Sweden, alongside Finland, applied to join NATO in the spring of 2022. The following spring, Helsinki joined the NATO alliance but Turkey´s disapproval of Sweden´s accession made the integration problematic. 

Now, the Secretary of State of the United States, Anthony Blinken, had elatedly announced, “Let me be the first to welcome Sweden as the 32nd member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.”

NATO´s General Secretary, Jens Stoltenberg, marked March 7, as a “historic day” for Europe. “Sweden will now take its rightful place at the NATO table, with an equal say in shaping NATO´s policies and decisions.”

After more than 2000 years of non-alignment, Sweden is now granted protection of Article 5, which is considered to be the highest guarantee of freedom and security provided by the allies. 

The US Publication, Politico, revealed that Sweden is expected to bolster the NATO alliance. “Sweden´s centuries of neutrality has forced Sweden to create a world-class military-industrial complex.” 

The US President, Joe Biden, also noted the country’s military progress: “Now, the transatlantic security is stronger than ever.”  

Sweden’s flag will be presented alongside the other 31 allies at the NATO ceremony in Brussels, on March 11.

The Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, spoke out about the procedure: “We are humble, but we are also proud. Unity and solidarity will be the guiding star.”

Sweden´s accession to NATO proves that NATO´s doors remain open, whether for the better, or the worse. 

With both Sweden and Finland having now abandoned neutrality, the political authorities are considering how this will affect the Russian and Ukraine conflict. 

The Director of the Swedish Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research, Jan Oberg, stated her concern about Sweden now being, “a close combat area.”

Sweden’s geographical position can potentially become a land transit route, allowing NATO to gain access to the Baltic Sea, in case of conflict with Russia. 

Russia’s Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council, Konstantin Kosachev, had made a cautionary statement: “The Russian Ministry of Defense will have to keep a particularly close eye on how NATO plans to use the territory of the new country.” 

Is NATO’s expansion a better guarantee of European safety, or an indication of rising conflicts?