Sweden Officially Joins NATO; Kristersson: My Country is Safer Today

Ulf Kristersson, the Prime Minister of Sweden, stated on Thursday that Sweden is joining NATO to defend its freedom and democracy after the country became the thirty-second member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. According to Reuters, Kristersson said in his speech at the event, "Sweden is a safer country today than it was yesterday." He also mentioned that Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO demonstrated that Russian President Vladimir Putin has failed in his goal to impose his views on other countries. Kristersson submitted the final NATO membership documents to the U.S. government on Thursday, marking the last step in a lengthy process to secure the support of all members for joining the military alliance. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, upon receiving Sweden's accession documents from Kristersson, remarked, "Good things come to those who wait." Blinken referenced polls indicating a shift in Swedish public opinion regarding NATO membership, stating that "everything changed" after Russia's extensive invasion of Ukraine. He added, "Swedes realized a very important point: that if Putin wants to try to erase one neighbor from the map, he may not stop at just that [neighbor]." Sweden and Finland sought NATO membership following Russia's attack on Ukraine. Turkey and Hungary delayed Sweden's NATO membership process for years, causing dissatisfaction among other NATO members. John Kirby to VOA: Biden will emphasize continued support for Ukraine in the 'State of the Union' speech, the fourth annual 'State of the Nation' speech by Joe Biden coinciding with ongoing major wars in the Middle East and Europe.