Sweden has become NATO member – photo

Sweden has officially become the 32nd member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

Source: European Pravda

Details: Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson handed over the signed documents on Sweden's accession to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington on 7 March.

This is the last formal step in the procedure for Sweden to be considered a full member of the North Atlantic Alliance.

Background: On the afternoon of 7 March, European time, the US Department of State confirmed that Washington had received the last ratification instrument for Sweden's accession from Hungary.

Afterwards, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg formally invited Sweden to become a member, and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who arrived in Washington in advance with his foreign minister, signed the accession documents.

This brings to an end the long-lasting process of Sweden's accession to NATO, which was expected to be completed simultaneously with Finland but ended up being delayed for over a year.

Initially, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stood as the main challenge, formally claiming that Sweden was providing political asylum for his political opponents and Kurdish leaders, but the real reason was Erdoğan's bargaining with the United States to acquire F-16 fighter jets.

Then Hungary unexpectedly became an obstacle, even though Budapest did not put forward specific demands. Despite repeatedly promising not to be the last in the ratification process, Hungary completed the process after Türkiye and even then, it found a way to further delay Sweden's eventual accession to NATO.

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