Sweden ends neutrality, joins Finland to seek NATO place
STOCKHOLM (AP) – Sweden’s Prime Minister announced on Monday that Sweden will join Finland to seek NATO membership in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a historic shift that comes after more than 200 years of military freedom of alliance in the Nordic country.
The move, which is likely to upset Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government, came after neighboring Finland announced on Sunday that it would also try to join the military alliance of 30 countries.
Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson called it “a historic change in our country’s security policy” when she spoke to legislators in the Swedish capital.
“We will inform NATO that we want to join the alliance,” she said. “Sweden needs formal security guarantees that come with NATO membership.”
Andersson adds that Sweden acted together with Finlandwhose government announced on Sunday it would try to join the alliance.
The announcement came after a debate in the Riksdag, or the Riksdag, earlier on Monday showed that there is enormous support for joining NATO. Of Sweden’s eight parties, only two smaller left-wing parties opposed.
Helsinki Civil Defense Emergencies can protect the entire population when needed. (Source: CNN)
On Sunday, the Swedish Social Democrats broke with the party’s long-standing position that Sweden must remain non-aligned, which paves the way for a clear majority for NATO membership in the Riksdag.
Public opinion in the two Nordic countries was strongly opposed to joining NATO before the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, but support for NATO membership increased rapidly in both nations thereafter.
“The Swedish government intends to apply for membership in NATO. A historic day for Sweden “, writes Foreign Minister Ann Linde on Twitter. “With broad support from political parties in the Riksdag, the conclusion is that Sweden will stand stronger together with allies in NATO.”
Once a regional military power, Sweden has avoided military alliances since the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Like Finland, it remained neutral throughout the Cold War, but formed closer ties with NATO after the Soviet collapse in 1991.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the governments of Finland and Sweden responded by promptly initiating discussions between political parties on NATO membership and reaching out to the United States, Britain, Germany and other NATO countries for their support.
However, the Kremlin has repeatedly warned that the move would have destabilizing consequences for security in Europe.
US support for Ukraine stumbles over Finland joining NATO. (CNN / EBS + / POOL / RUSSIA POOL / SENAT TV / NATO TV / CNN)
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Moscow “has no problems” with Sweden or Finland when applying for NATO membership, but that “the expansion of military infrastructure to this territory will of course give rise to our response.”
In Helsinki, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday that there is “very significant” support in Congress and that he expects rapid ratification. He said he hoped a vote could be taken before the August break.
In Sweden’s Riksdag, only the small Left and Green parties opposed opposing NATO membership.
Andersson said that Sweden would refuse nuclear weapons or permanent NATO bases on its land – similar conditions that the neighboring countries Norway and Denmark insisted on when the alliance was formed after World War II.
Although NATO officials have expressed hopes for a speedy ratification process, all 30 current NATO members must agree to admit Finland and Sweden. Turkey expressed some objections last week, accusing the two countries of supporting Kurdish militants and others whom Turkey considers terrorists.
Sweden’s Minister of Defense Peter Hultqvist told SVT that a Swedish delegation would be sent to Ankara to discuss the issue.
___ Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, contributed to this report.
___ Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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