Swedish Flag Raised At NATO HQ To Establish Country’s Status As 32nd Member
OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
5:42 PM – Monday, March 11, 2024
Sweden’s national flag was hoisted at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) headquarters, securing the Nordic nation’s status as the 32nd member of the alliance.
On Monday, March 11th, Sweden was officially welcomed into NATO with a flag-raising ceremony. Sweden is joining the alliance as its second new member since the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called Sweden’s approval “a historic day.” In a display of solidarity, officials from the Swedish government and political party leaders from all parties also gathered together.
The NATO secretary-general, Crown Princess Victoria, and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson watched as two soldiers hoisted the blue banner with the yellow cross among the formal circle of national flags at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
“After over 200 years of non-alignment Sweden now enjoys the protection granted under Article 5, the ultimate guarantee of Allies’ freedom and security,” Stoltenberg stated.
All members are required by Article 5, which was once triggered by the U.S. following the attacks of September 11th, 2001, to assist an ally whose territory or security is in danger.
Sweden has maintained its neutral stance for over 200 years, but as news of Russian aggression grows, including the presence of an alleged Russian submarine in its waters, so did support for Sweden’s membership in NATO.
Turkey and Hungary had previously been preventing Sweden from joining NATO.
Turkey expressed worry that Sweden was providing sanctuary to Kurdish groups that are terrorist organizations, and Viktor Orban, the president of Hungary, had allegedly demonstrated pro-Russian sentiment and did not share the alliance’s resolve to defend Ukraine.
“The Russian, brutal, full-scale invasion against Ukraine united Sweden behind the conclusion that a full-fledged NATO membership is the only reasonable choice,” Kristersson said.
Sweden formally joined NATO on March 7th, shedding decades of post-World War II neutrality. In April 2023, Finland, a nearby country, also joined the alliance in a historic step that put an end to years of military nonalignment.
“We are humble, but we are also proud. We know the expectations for Sweden are high, but we also have high expectations for ourselves,” Kristersson explained to reporters minutes before the flag raising ceremony. “We will share burdens, responsibilities and risks with our allies.”
Over the years, Sweden has collaborated closely with NATO on military drills. Additionally, the country spends 2% of GDP on defense, meeting NATO’s requirement.
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