Nato membership: Sweden will apply for NATO membership with Finland: "Sweden must not be alone outside NATO"
Press conference with leader of the Swedish Democrats Ulf Kristersson and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson (S). (Screenshot)
The Swedish government has decided that Sweden will apply for membership in NATO, says Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. "We will inform NATO that we want to become a member of the alliance, says Andersson (S).
The Swedish government has decided that Sweden will apply for membership in NATO, says Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson.
"We will inform NATO that we want to become a member of the alliance. The best thing is that we apply for a NATO membership together with Finland, says Andersson (S) at a press conference.
The Swedish NATO Ambassador will deliver the application as soon as possible in a joint process with Finland.
Moderate leader Ulf Kristersson, also present at the press conference, states that this is a historic decision.
"With a Swedish NATO membership, the threshold for a military is raised attacks in our immediate area. Sweden will be in a vulnerable position in the meantime our application is being processed", says Magdalena Andersson.
The government has also decided on a bill that will make it possible for Sweden to receive military support from all EU and NATO countries while the application is beeing processed by the 30 NATO-countries.
Following the NATO announcements from Sweden and Finland, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that the expansion of the defense alliance is problematic. According to Reuters, Putin says that Russia has no problem with Sweden and Finland, but that Russia will react to the expansion of military infrastructure in the countries. Putin also says Russia will pay attention to NATO's plans for greater global influence.
