Following in the footsteps of Finland, the Swedish government has also officially decided to apply for NATO membership.
This was announced at a briefing by Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, SVT reports.
"We are leaving one era and moving on to another. We will inform NATO that we want to join the alliance," she said.
The government also backed a bill that would allow the country to receive military assistance from the EU and NATO. Andersson expressed hope that most Swedes would also support the decision. According to her, the parliament has already confirmed that it is also in favor of joining NATO.
Sweden has maintained neutrality for 200 years — after the Napoleonic Wars in Europe in 1812 and the loss of a number of territories, the Swedes decided not to join any military alliances and not to attack other states. Since then, Sweden has always been a neutral state, although it is a member of the European Union and a partner of NATO.
- On 15 May, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto announced that his country would formally apply to join NATO. The decision was supported by the government, and members of parliament also assured that they would vote for accession.