Sweden ends neutrality, decides to formally apply to join NATO

Sweden has decided to formally apply to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), following in the footsteps of neighboring Finland. Both Finland and Sweden have ended their long-held positions of neutrality in the wake of the Russia's military operation in Ukraine. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said, the Nordic countries would be welcomed into the alliance, however the process could take months once their formal applications have been sent in. Since NATO was founded in 1949, the alliance has expanded to include 30 member countries, including three former Soviet republics, and the inclusion of Sweden and Finland would further expand the alliance's influence in the Arctic and in the areas around Russia.

Andersson told reporters that Sweden would be “in a vulnerable position” while the application was being processed but that she felt “confident that there is support for this among the Swedish people”. Sweden’s governing Social Democrats dropped their 73-year opposition to joining NATO and are hoping for a quick accession after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has highlighted Stockholm and Helsinki’s vulnerabilities despite their close cooperation with the military alliance in recent years.