Sweden plans to send the NATO application next week, Expressen states
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STOCKHOLM, May 12 (Reuters) – The Swedish government plans to submit an application to join NATO next week, after neighboring Finland has written about its security policy after World War II in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the newspaper Expressen said on Thursday . .
Sweden’s Riksdag will debate the security situation on Monday and Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson will then call a special government meeting where the formal decision to apply will be made, Expressen says with reference to unnamed sources.
An application will be sent immediately after that, provided that nothing unexpected happens, sources tell Expressen.
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Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special military operation”, both Sweden and Finland have largely been expected to seek greater security by joining NATO and abandoning decades of military alliance freedom.
A party review of Swedish security policy will present its results tomorrow and the ruling Social Democrats are still discussing whether to change policy and support an application. The party will make a decision on Sunday.
Earlier on Thursday, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said that the country must apply to join NATO’s military alliance “without delay”, which increases the pressure on Sweden to follow suit. Read more
Finland is Sweden’s closest military ally and the only other Nordic country that is not a member of NATO.
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Reporting by Simon Johnson; editing by Niklas Pollard
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