Sweden makes it ‘home’ as flag hoisted at NATO headquarters

Two years after Sweden applied to join NATO, its flag was raised at the military alliance’s headquarters on Monday (11 March), with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson saying “We have come home”.

A celebration at the NATO headquarters, north of Brussels, was attended by many dignitaries, including the Swedish Crown Princess Victoria, the entire Swedish government, and the leaders of the country’s six main political parties.

“We have come home; home to the alliance for peace and freedom to which so many democracies already belong,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told reporters before the flag was hoisted.

Sweden officially became NATO’s 32nd member last week after Kristersson handed over the accession documents to the US State Department, ending more than two centuries of its military non-alignment. 

“Russia will stay a threat to Euroatlantic security for the foreseeable future,” Kristersson said on Monday, adding that the alliance must remain “alert”.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was a turning point for Sweden and its neighbour Finland, who decided to apply to join the military alliance a few months later.

By joining NATO, Sweden and Finland gain the security guarantee of Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which states that an attack on one member state is considered an attack on all.

“We have chosen you and you have chosen us. One for all, all for one,” Kristersson concluded during the ceremony attended by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

“Sweden has taken its rightful place at the NATO table,” Stoltenberg said, adding that it was a “historic” day.

Hungary, the last NATO member to green-light Stockholm’s accession, only agreed last week. Budapest had stalled the process as it viewed Stockholm taking its NATO accession for granted and objected to the allegations of EU rule of law violations levelled at Viktor Orbán’s government from Sweden.

No nuclear weapons or bases on Swedish soil

With Sweden’s accession, the alliance has begun integrating the country into its defence and deterrence plans. However, full integration can take years.

“To be honest, we have been prepared for this for quite some time. Actually for 30 years, but in more detail in the last two years,” Kristersson told the press conference.

“Now we are entering a new era. We will transform from following NATO to being NATO,” he added.

The new member brings to the table a navy well calibrated for the Baltic Sea, an air force equipped with locally developed Saab Gripen fighters, and a ‘home-grown’ defence industry.

Sweden’s accession also comes during a ‘Nordic Response’ military exercise held in Norway, with more than 20,000 troops from 13 allied nations taking part from 3 to 14 March. These exercises take place every two years in northern Norway/

However, Kristersson made clear his position on NATO’s nuclear strategy.

“We see no need for Sweden to host permanent bases or nuclear weapons on Swedish soil”, he said.

Stoltenberg added there is currently no need to increase the number of NATO allies hosting nuclear weapons and no plans for posting a battle group in Sweden, as there is currently one in the Baltics. He said it was up to the Swedish government to decide if it may consider it in the future.

[Edited by Aurélie Pugnet/Zoran Radosavljevic]

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