Sweden plans to join NATO as early as next summer, the Swedish newspaper Democratic Party, which is leading the government, reported today (Wednesday) in the Social Democratic Party. To the military alliance at the annual NATO summit to be held on June 29-30 in Madrid. The move will put an end to the relative neutrality that the state has maintained so far, including during World War II.
The reports are published today in Sweden following the visit of Stockholm by the Prime Minister of Finland, Sana Marin, whose government is also expected to announce its intention to join NATO at the same time today. February 24. Marin expressed support for an interview over the weekend in joining the alliance, arguing that Article 5 of the NATO Convention – which sees an attack on one of the organization’s members as an attack on all of them – is the only possible “significant security system” for Finland.
If membership applications are submitted, NATO is expected to approve them. The Finnish and Swedish armies are an added force to the military alliance. The Finnish army is already conducting extensive exercises with NATO forces, and is considered one of the strongest in Europe, Of only 5 million inhabitants. Norwegian NATO Secretary General Jannes Stoltenberg, whose term has been extended due to the situation in Ukraine, said he expects “all 30 NATO member states” to welcome Finland and Sweden.
How will Russia react?
One of the key questions now is how Russia will respond to the announcements. The issue of NATO enlargement is one of Russia’s stated reasons for invading Ukraine, and a demand to freeze the accession of more European companies is part of Russia’s security demands introduced to the West before the war. Article 5 is not yet in force – to carry out a military attack.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned in recent days that there will be “serious consequences” for each of the two countries joining NATO. He added that Russia will take steps to “bring about a rebalancing of the situation.” Both countries will join NATO.