Home » World » Sweden applies for NATO membership – NRK Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country

Sweden applies for NATO membership – NRK Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country

– Sweden will be in a vulnerable position while our application is being processed, Andersson says during a press conference on Monday, where she announced that the country is applying for NATO membership.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre promises to assist Sweden and Finland should they be attacked.

– This is a historic day for Sweden and Finland, but also for the Nordic countries and Norway. From the Norwegian side, we welcome Sweden and Finland’s applications for membership in NATO, says Gahr Støre during a press conference on Monday afternoon.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre meets the press following Sweden’s NATO decision.

Photo: Vegard Tjørhom / NRK

– Today there is something that unites when the two countries want to enter a security community in which Norway also participates. We will be a security community in the Nordic region. It is a time difference for Nordic co-operation, says Støre.

The Danish prime minister says that the country will immediately start preparations to streamline these security insurances, according to Reuters.

– The security of Finland and Sweden is important for our security. Together with Denmark and Iceland, Norway is ready to assist with all necessary means if our Nordic neighbors are exposed to an attack before they formally become members of NATO, says Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in a press release.

– This insurance is a clear signal from us. We will do what we can to ensure a quick process, so that Norway can ratify Sweden and Finland as NATO members very quickly, says Støre.

French President Emmanuel Macron supports Sweden’s decision to join NATO, the French presidential office in the Elysee said on Monday. It reports Reuters.

video-reference">

video widget rich" id="video-86881ddb-1a4f-4cbb-8108-02ceacbacdc9" data-video-id="86881ddb-1a4f-4cbb-8108-02ceacbacdc9" data-video-source="POTION" data-video-type="DEFAULT" data-video-offset="0" data-audio-as-video="false" data-player-mode="default" data-canonical-url="https://www.nrk.no/video/86881ddb-1a4f-4cbb-8108-02ceacbacdc9" data-ps-id="86881ddb-1a4f-4cbb-8108-02ceacbacdc9" data-autoplay="false">

Today, Sweden confirmed its NATO application. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson says Sweden’s interests are best defended if they are members of NATO

Broad majority

It was Monday afternoon that the Swedish government held a press conference, where they announced that they were applying for NATO membership.

– It is clear that there is a broad majority in Sweden’s Riksdag for Sweden to join NATO, says Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson (S).

This map shows which countries are currently part of NATO. NATO countries are in the blue.

She believes a Swedish NATO membership will raise the threshold for a military attack in their immediate area.

– The best thing for Sweden’s security and the security of the Swedish people is that we join NATO, and that we do it together with Finland, Andersson says.

– We will bring with us the best of our country’s history. Above all, we want to take with us the insight that we become stronger when we work together, she added.

Russia: – Will lead to increased tension

Sweden and Finland’s NATO applications do not fall into equally good soil in Russia. The leader of the collective security organization CSTO, Stanislav Zas, claims that this will lead to increased militarization.

– We are facing increased militarization in Eastern Europe. Tensions will rise, Zas claims, according to the news agency Reuters.

The CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) is a collective security organization that was established as a temporary security treaty in 1992 between Russia, the four former Soviet states of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, and became a permanent organization in 2002.

– Historical decision

Andersson said that it is clear that Sweden is not alone.

– Sweden has received clear security insurance from several important partner countries, such as the USA, Great Britain, Germany, France and our Nordic neighbors, Andersson says.

video-videoLoop dh-video-standaloneVideo dh-video-small" style="padding-bottom: 100%" role="img" aria-label="Utenriksministere til NATO-land er samlet for å ta et familiebilde."><video preload="none" muted="" poster="https://mediaorigin.nrk.no/movingstill/46500193-c22c-4e90-9001-93c22cae9091/20220515123321/46500193-c22c-4e90-9001-93c22cae9091_360.jpg">video>–

video-videoLoop dh-video-standaloneVideo dh-video-medium" style="padding-bottom: 100%" role="img" aria-label="Utenriksministere til NATO-land er samlet for å ta et familiebilde."><video preload="none" muted="" poster="https://mediaorigin.nrk.no/movingstill/46500193-c22c-4e90-9001-93c22cae9091/20220515123321/46500193-c22c-4e90-9001-93c22cae9091_720.jpg">video>–

video-videoLoop dh-video-standaloneVideo dh-video-large" style="padding-bottom: 100%" role="img" aria-label="Utenriksministere til NATO-land er samlet for å ta et familiebilde."><video preload="none" muted="" poster="https://mediaorigin.nrk.no/movingstill/46500193-c22c-4e90-9001-93c22cae9091/20220515123321/46500193-c22c-4e90-9001-93c22cae9091_1080.jpg">video>–
video-byline" data-caption="">

Here are all the foreign ministers of NATO countries. Finland and Sweden will be part of this picture.

– We will go through this together with our neighboring country Finland.

Ulf Kristersson (M) points out that the NATO application takes place at a very special time.

– This is a historic decision, he says.

– Sweden will be safer in NATO than outside, but we live in a dangerous time. Russia does not like Finland and Sweden joining NATO. Just like they do not like that we are on Ukraine’s side, or that we give weapons to the Ukrainian army, or that we expel Russian spies, says Kristersson.

Huitfeldt: – Provides completely new opportunities

The fact that both Sweden and Finland will now apply for NATO membership gives the Nordic region completely new opportunities in defense and security policy, Anniken Huitfeldt tells NTB.

The Foreign Minister believes that Finland and Sweden now want to join NATO also shows how Russia’s attacks on Ukraine have created major and lasting changes in security policy.

– The Kremlin wanted to keep NATO away from Russia’s borders, but has achieved the opposite. It is important to emphasize that Finnish and Swedish membership do not threaten anyone. Now we will ensure a quick admission process and be clear in our solidarity with Sweden and Finland in the transition phase, says Huitfeldt (Labor Party) in a statement to NTB.

– This gives the Nordic region completely new opportunities in defense and security policy, she says.

Said yes to application

The Riksdag debated the topic on Monday morning.

– If Sweden becomes the only EU country in the Baltic Sea region that is not a member of NATO, then we would end up in a very uncertain position. (…) The best thing for our country’s security is that we apply for membership in NATO, and that we do it now, together with Finland, said Magdalena Andersson when she opened the debate.

On Sunday, the ruling Social Democrats agreed to apply for membership in NATO.

During the debate, the message also came from the Sweden Democrats, the Moderates, the Christian Democrats, the Center Party and the Liberals: Sweden should join NATO.

Only the Left Party and the Green Party say no.

– It does not help Ukraine, said the Left Party’s Nooshi Dadgostar, and warned against the decision to leave 200 years of freedom of alliance.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.