To justify his aggression in Ukraine, Putin pointed to the possibility of NATO expansion. And now, in one of the conflict's many twists, his war has brought a larger and stronger alliance to his door. Russia will have to live with the consequences for years.
“There is no clearer example today of the strategic disaster that Ukraine has become for Russia,” Blinken said Thursday, standing next to a beaming Christerson.
“Everything Putin sought to prevent, he has already accelerated through his actions and aggression.”
The addition of Sweden and Finland would strengthen NATO in the Far North, where Russia retains much of its second-strike capabilities, and would strengthen its presence around the Baltic Sea, especially around Russia's Kaliningrad region.
Russia illegally annexed it in March 2014
NATO countries not shown:
Portugal, Iceland, the United States and Canada
Russia illegally annexed it in March 2014
NATO countries not shown:
Portugal, Iceland, the United States and Canada
NATO countries not shown:
Iceland, the United States and Canada
Russia illegally annexed it in March 2014
The Swedish Navy has experience operating in and under Baltic waters, and its fighter aircraft will patrol overhead, making it easier for NATO to supply or defend Baltic allies if the need arises. Stockholm has already said it will send troops to join the multinational force based in Latvia.
“Sweden’s accession makes NATO stronger, Sweden safer, and the entire alliance safer,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Christerson said it was a “historic moment” and pledged that from this year onwards his country would achieve the alliance's defense spending target of 2 percent of gross domestic product.
“Unity and solidarity will be the guiding light for Sweden as a member of NATO,” he said. “We will share the burdens, responsibilities and risks with other allies.”
Although Sweden's NATO bid has been blocked at various points by Turkey, and then by Hungary, the fact that it has arrived sends an important signal to Putin as he wages war in Ukraine, said Anna Wieslander, northern Europe director at the Stanford Research Institute. He threatens other neighbors. Atlantic Council.
That message: “He cannot dictate, and if he did, there would be resistance.”
Russia did not immediately comment on the news. The country's response to Finland's membership has been weak, although Russian officials have generally spoken of the need to adjust their military posture in response to NATO's new limits and plans.
A few years ago, it would have been difficult to imagine Sweden joining NATO. Military non-alignment was part of the country's identity.
But the Russian invasion in February 2022 appears to have awakened Europe from its post-Cold War slumber, spurring profound changes in how the region's relatively wealthy democracies think about their security.
The European Union has begun the process of weaning itself from Russian oil and gas. It has been digging into its stockpiles to send weapons to Ukraine. It has begun to increase defense spending – albeit more slowly than many at NATO headquarters or in Washington would like.
Meanwhile, NATO has begun its biggest overhaul since the Cold War, creating new battle plans that focus more directly on deterring Russia and defending every inch of NATO territory from day one if Moscow tries anything.
When Russian tanks attacked Kiev, Finnish sentiment towards NATO changed rapidly. Sweden took a little longer to apply for membership, but it applied for membership alongside its neighbor in May 2022.
In his remarks Thursday, Blinken noted that most Swedes were not interested in NATO before the Russian invasion, but Moscow's actions have prompted a major rethink. “The Swedes have realized something very profound, which is that if Putin is trying to wipe one of his neighbors off the map, he may not stop there,” he said.
Both countries – and most coalition members – expected a smooth process. But approving new arrivals required consensus, and it quickly became clear that Turkey would object at every step.
What followed was more than 20 months of obstruction and delay by Turkey, followed by foot-dragging by Hungary – with public disagreements that undoubtedly pleased Putin.
When it became clear that Turkey's problem was with Finland, not Sweden, its offers were divided. Finland joined last spring, while Sweden continued negotiations.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has requested F-16 fighter jets from the United States and insisted that Sweden take tough action against groups Turkey considers terrorists. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban pressured the Swedish Prime Minister to pay a visit to Budapest and conclude a deal to obtain more Swedish-made fighter aircraft.
In the end, after much drama and fraught diplomacy, the two countries pulled out what they could and agreed to welcome another new member.
The Swedish flag will not fly outside NATO headquarters in Brussels until Monday, but NATO's key protection — the collective defense clause known as Article 5 — takes effect immediately, officials said.
“We will sleep here tonight with Article 5 covering this country,” the Atlantic Council’s Wieslander said in a phone call from Sweden. “This is a big shift for us.”
