Once neutral Sweden seeks NATO membership in historic shift & More News Here

STOCKHOLM — Sweden on Monday determined to affix neighboring Finland in in search of NATO membership, ending greater than two centuries of army nonalignment in a historic shift prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson warned that the Nordic nation could be in a “vulnerable position” throughout the utility interval and urged her fellow residents to brace themselves for the Russian response.

“Russia has said that that it will take countermeasures if we join NATO,” she stated. “We cannot rule out that Sweden will be exposed to, for instance, disinformation and attempts to intimidate and divide us.”

Sweden’s transfer got here a day after the governing Social Democratic get together endorsed a plan for the nation to affix the trans-Atlantic alliance and Finland’s authorities introduced that it could search to affix NATO.

Moscow has repeatedly warned Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border with Russia, and Sweden of repercussions ought to they pursue NATO membership. But Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday appeared to downplay the importance of their transfer.

Speaking to a Russian-led army alliance of six ex-Soviet states, Putin stated Moscow “does not have a problem” with Sweden or Finland as they apply for NATO membership, however that “the expansion of military infrastructure onto this territory will of course give rise to our reaction in response.”

Andersson, who leads the center-left Social Democrats, said Sweden would hand in its NATO application jointly with Finland. Flanked by opposition leader Ulf Kristersson, Andersson said her government also was preparing a bill that would allow Sweden to receive military assistance from other nations in case of an attack.

“The Russian leadership thought they could bully Ukraine and deny them and other countries self-determination,” Kristersson said. “They thought they could scare Sweden and Finland and drive a wedge between us and our neighbors and allies. They were wrong.”

Once a regional army energy, Sweden has averted army alliances because the finish of the Napoleonic Wars. Like Finland it remained neutral all through the Cold War, however shaped nearer relations with NATO after the 1991 Soviet collapse. They not see themselves as neutral after becoming a member of the European Union in 1995, however have remained nonaligned militarily till now.

After being firmly towards NATO membership for many years, public opinion in each nations shifted following Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, with file ranges of help for becoming a member of the alliance. The Swedish and Finnish governments swiftly initiated discussions throughout political events about NATO membership and reaching out the U.S., Britain, Germany and different NATO nations for his or her help.

On Sunday, Andersson’s get together reversed their long-standing place that Sweden should stay nonaligned, giving NATO membership overwhelming help in Parliament. Only the small Left and Green events objected when the problem was mentioned by lawmakers on Monday.

Left Party chief Nooshi Dadgostar, whose requires a referendum on the matter had been dismissed by the federal government, stated becoming a member of NATO would increase tensions in the Baltic Sea area.

“It does not help Ukraine,” she stated.

Andersson stated Sweden would clarify it would not need nuclear weapons or everlasting NATO bases on its soil — comparable situations as neighboring Norway and Denmark insisted on when the alliance was shaped after World War II.

During a go to to Helsinki on Monday, Senate Republican chief Mitch McConnell stated that there’s “very significant” help in Congress for welcoming Finland and Sweden to the alliance and that he expects ratification earlier than the August recess.

In a joint assertion, Nordic NATO members Norway, Denmark and Iceland stated they had been prepared to help Finland and Sweden “with all necessary means” during the application process.

However, all 30 current NATO members must agree to let the Nordic neighbors in the door.

Turkey voiced some objections last week, accusing the two countries of supporting Kurdish militants and others whom Turkey considers to be terrorists.

Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist told public broadcaster SVT that a Swedish delegation would be sent to Ankara to discuss the issue.

——— Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, contributed to this report.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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