Sweden will finally join NATO – but why is it so significant?

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In 2022, Finland began its bid to join NATO following Vladimir Putin’s devastating invasion of Ukraine and, shortly after, Sweden followed suit. Almost two years later, Sweden’s attempt has finally been ratified. 

The country’s interest in joining NATO was clearly sparked by Putin’s menace - Sweden has been spooked by both Russia and its own military weakness several times before. In an incident where Russian military aircraft were able to simulate an aerial attack on the country in 2013, they found themselves asking for NATO’s assistance to deal with the threat. Opinion polls soon after demonstrated the lack of faith many Swedes had in their country’s defensive capabilities.

When Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Sweden felt the full force of the threat it posed. Sharing a border with Russia, and with both Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg just across the Baltic Sea, the Swedish government cited the invasion as the reason behind a “fundamentally changed security situation”, and, consequently, their entry to NATO.

However, their Finnish neighbours appeared to encounter less difficulty finding unanimous approval from the other 30 countries of the organisation, officially joining last April. 

Sweden’s accession to the alliance comes only one month after Turkey accepted their request, having previously refused due to Sweden’s alleged support of “terrorist” organisations – namely, the Kurdish Workers’ Party. Hungary was Sweden’s final hurdle: Viktor Orbán – the country’s controversial Prime Minister and, arguably, Putin’s closest friend in NATO – only approved their membership after a visit from Sweden’s Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, as well as a subsequent arms deal, thought to be a reason behind the delay all along.

Initially formed as an alliance of 12 countries in 1949, NATO stood for the protection and defence of those involved following World War Two, particularly in the face of the Soviet Union and looming threat of the Cold War – something not entirely dissimilar to Finland and Sweden’s recent decision to join.

Despite a historic (and, at times, contentious) tendency towards neutrality, Sweden’s entry into NATO signifies not only the impending threat that Russia poses against Europe, but also Sweden’s willingness to potentially defend nations at war. The country already promises to send 800 troops to Latvia in 2025, a notable contribution to NATO.

Additionally, Sweden’s association with the alliance offers weighty symbolic meaning. Lieber Institute West Point emphasised the addition of two previously non-aligned countries as “the most significant outcome of the Madrid Summit” – the meeting where the two Baltic countries were first invited to join – reinforcing the deep moral and political corruption of Putin, particularly his invasion of Ukraine. 

The last couple of weeks have seen some serious developments in Russian politics, particularly the premature “death” of Putin’s most outspoken critic, Alexei Navalny. The ensuing arrests of at least 400 mourners, supporting Nalvalny’s opposition to the war in Ukraine and Putin in general, represent the increasing brutality of Russia amidst its intense crackdown on critics of the Kremlin as the Russian election approaches. 

Emmanuel Macron, the French president, added fuel to the fire recently, hinting at a more active role in the conflict and stating that Europe could not rule out sending ground troops to Ukraine. Although other NATO allies have staunchly rejected this, Putin’s response was unsettling, threatening the use of nuclear weapons in any further conflict that could result in the “the destruction of civilization”.

NATO’s growth in membership strengthens the challenge they present to the Russian president, who has always been hostile to the prospect of its expansion. In fact, Putin’s justification of the invasion of Ukraine arises from the latter’s intent to join NATO, though this is widely disputed as the genuine or, at least, sole reason. Russia has seemingly already begun countermeasures to combat Sweden’s entry, including cyberattacks. 

Sweden also offers a geostrategic advantage for NATO. Although their shared border with Russia has previously been a cause for concern – and, in some ways, still is – its position, along with other NATO members, secures the organisation’s predominant influence over the Baltic Sea. Considering the threat Russia held over the sea previously, including the Nord Stream sabotages in 2022, control over the Baltic Sea will be invaluable to NATO. 

While Sweden’s entry into the organisation marks the end of its historic neutrality, it indicates the beginning of what hopes to be a stronger NATO against Putin’s increasing hostilities - something that is sure to dominate the NATO agenda for months to come.