15 minutes agoSweden's prime minister confirms: We'll apply to NATO
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has confirmed that her country will officially apply for NATO membership. “We will inform NATO that we want to become members of the” coalition, Andersson said after a debate on security policy today in parliament. “There is a majority in Sweden's parliament in favour of applying [...]
“We will inform NATO that we want to become members of the” coalition, Andersson said after a debate on security policy today in parliament.
There is a majority in Sweden's parliament in favour of NATO membership application. The best thing for Sweden and the Swedish population is to join NATO”, the Swedish prime minister said.
The decision to abandon military failure, which has been a central part of Swedish national identity for more than 200 years, is a historic change for the country.
This comes a day after Swedish Social Democrats changed the party's long-standing stance that Sweden should remain unannounced militarily, paving the way for a clear majority in parliament in favour of NATO application.
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 created closer relations with NATO after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Public opinion in both countries was strongly against NATO membership until Russia's invasion of Ukraine, after which polls showed a dramatic change in favour of membership.
