Sweden has officially joined North Atlantic treaty Organisation (NATO) after Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson handed over the final documentation to the U.S. government in Washington on Thursday, two years into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has led nation to rethink its security policy to ensure its safety.
After decades of neutrality, the Scandinavian nation decided to join NATO, marking a significant change in its security strategy. The inclusion of Sweden and Finland to NATO, who have a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia, represents the alliance's biggest growth in decades.
"Good things come to those who wait," remarked U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken following Kristersson's presentation of Sweden's accession documents.
Additionally, he asserted that "everything changed" during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, citing polls that showed a significant shift in the Swedish public's opinion on NATO membership.
Russia responded to Sweden's action by threatening "political and military-technical countermeasures" that were not specifically stated.
Finland became a member of the alliance last year, but Sweden had to wait as its ratification was delayed by Turkey and Hungary, two countries that have cordial ties with Russia.
Turkey agreed to Sweden's proposal in January. Nevertheless, Hungary refrained from passing judgement until following Kristersson's friendly visit to Budapest in February, when the two countries reached an agreement on fighter jets.
