Sweden Officially Joins NATO, Ending Decades of Neutrality

Sweden officially joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as its 32nd member. The accession was marked by a ceremony at the State Department in Washington D.C., where Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson deposited the country's instrument of accession. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Joe Biden welcomed Sweden into the alliance, with Biden stating that NATO is now stronger and larger than ever. The process of Sweden's accession followed Finland's admission as the 31st member in the previous year. Russia's invasion of Ukraine had spurred the expansion of NATO. Kristersson visited the White House and was a guest of honor at Biden's State of the Union address. The ratification process for Sweden took approximately 20 months, with some delays due to Turkey and Hungary's hesitations. NATO officials assured both Finland and Sweden that their accession processes would be the fastest in history. With the addition of Sweden and Finland, Putin now faces an enlarged and motivated NATO alliance.