NATO Officially Gains Newest Member

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has gained its newest member.

Sweden made its entry into the alliance official on Thursday.

“On March 7, 2024, the conditions for entry into force set forth in Article II of the Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of the Kingdom of Sweden were fulfilled,” a Depositary Notification from the U.S. Department of State read.

JUST IN – Sweden officially joins NATO pic.twitter.com/zG241w2zzK

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) March 7, 2024

NBC News reports:

Sweden is expected to formally join NATO in Washington on Thursday, two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced a complete rethink of its national security policy and the realization the alliance offered the best guarantee of safety.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is in Washington to hand over the final documentation, with the White House saying in a statement ahead of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address that Sweden would join on Thursday.

“Having Sweden as a NATO Ally will make the United States and our Allies even safer,” the statement said.

Kristersson said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had informed him that Sweden had been formally invited to join after all member states accepted the country’s accession protocol.

“Sweden will soon be NATO’s 32nd member,” he said on X.

Sweden officially joins NATO https://t.co/87v2ef8ueB pic.twitter.com/FnTLwJIgpO

— Voice of Europe (@V_of_Europe) March 7, 2024

Sweden will officially become the 32nd member of NATO today, the White House

“On March 7, 2024, Sweden will officially join the NATO Alliance, becoming the 32nd ally,” the message reads.

P.S. Then Sweden can now officially give Gripen to Ukraine pic.twitter.com/Aiw4RIYMye

— Jürgen Nauditt (@jurgen_nauditt) March 7, 2024

#Sweden will officially join #NATO today, March 7, becoming the alliance’s 32nd member, the White House announced. pic.twitter.com/ZPh7wZ2r95

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 7, 2024

The addition of Sweden and Finland, who joined the alliance in 2023, is NATO’s most significant expansion for “decades.”

Finland shares a 830-mile border with Russia.

NATO has recently conducted drills in Finland and other Nordic countries.

Newly enlarged NATO starts drill in Finland, Norway and Sweden in defense of its Nordic turf https://t.co/zUB1C0PFGj pic.twitter.com/3trNbeOG5G

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 4, 2024

From the Associated Press:

NATO kicked off an exercise on Monday to defend its newly expanded Nordic territory when more than 20,000 soldiers from 13 nations take part in drills lasting nearly two weeks in the northern regions of Finland, Norway and Sweden.

With over 4,000 Finnish soldiers taking part, the Norway-led Nordic Response 2024 represents the NATO newcomer’s largest ever participation in a foreign exercise, according to Finland’s military.

“For the first time, Finland will participate as a NATO member nation in exercising collective defense of the alliance’s regions,” the Finnish Defense Forces said in a statement.

The Swedish Armed Forces said about 4,500 personnel from its air force, army and navy would take part in the drill, which is being conducted in demanding Arctic winter conditions.

Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border with Russia, joined NATO in April 2023 in a historic move following decades of military non-alignment. With its bid now ratified by all NATO members, neighboring Sweden is currently finalizing formalities to enter the military alliance as its 32nd member — most likely in March.

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