Sweden officially joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Thursday, becoming its 32nd member.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted the Scandinavian nation to reconsider its defense policy and abandon its historic position of neutrality.
Sweden’s neighbor Finland, which also bid to join the bloc after Russia’s invasion, officially joined in April 2023, more than doubling the alliance’s border with Russia — a massive blow to Vladimir Putin.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson formally handed over accession documents to the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., the last step of what ultimately turned into a rather lengthy process to gain the approval of all members to allow his country to join the bloc. These documents are put into a vault at the State Department, which serves as NATO’s treaty depositary.
“Welcome,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, shaking the smiling prime minister’s hand as cheers broke out in the room.
The Swedish flag will be raised at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on March 11.
