NATO celebrated Sweden’s entry into the alliance with a flag-raising ceremony in Brussels on a cold and rainy morning. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, alongside Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, emphasized that Sweden has now rightfully assumed its place at NATO’s table.

This move expands the Western defense alliance to 32 members, providing Sweden with the protection of NATO’s robust collective defense pact, Article 5, after departing from a 200-year tradition of non-alignment.

In May 2022, both Finland and Sweden expressed their desire to join NATO following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine earlier that year. While Finland successfully joined NATO before Sweden, Turkey and later Hungary opposed Stockholm’s entry. Turkey sought and received enhanced commitments from Sweden in the fight against terrorism.

All NATO members must formally approve new entrants. Although Budapest did not explicitly state an objection to Swedish membership, it promised Hungary would not be the last country to ratify, even though this turned out to be the case.

Despite Russia’s ambiguous threats of retaliation, warning Finland and Sweden against joining the alliance, Kristersson expressed minimal concern. He emphasized the need to remain vigilant and not be naive about the risks posed by potential adversaries.