Sweden's historic shift: Officially becomes the 32nd member of NATO
The formal decision to join NATO was reached by the Swedish government during a special meeting in Stockholm, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Ebba Busch.
Sweden officially joins NATO
"We have received an official invitation from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg," stressed Busch at a specially convened conference. "Now, a new chapter in the history of the Kingdom of Sweden begins," she added, referring to the country's more than 200-year tradition of neutrality.
Later on Thursday in Washington, D.C., in the presence of the Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Foreign Minister Tobias Billström, along with the handing over of the Swedish accession documents to the USA, Sweden's accession to NATO was finalized. Sweden's territory will now benefit from the guarantee of Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which ensures the collective defense of allies.
Sweden applied for NATO membership in May 2022 following a historical shift in stance by the then-ruling Social Democrats, prompted by Finland's decision to apply and Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson highlighted that Finnish defense capabilities were not fully complete without Sweden's accession to NATO.
