Sweden’s national flag has been raised at NATO headquarters, cementing the country’s place as the 32nd member of the alliance.
Under a steady rain, Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson and NATO Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg looked on as two soldiers raised the flag among the official circle of national flags at the headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
The flag was hoisted between the ones for Spain and Turkey, in alphabetical order.
Sweden’s accession officially happened last Thursday in Washington, where Kristersson handed over the relevant documents at the U.S State Department.
It marked the end of more than 200 years of neutrality and alignment for the Nordic country.
Its neighbour, Finland joined last year in another historic move ending years of military non-alignment.
Finland’s defence ministry welcomed “our brothers and sisters in arms, ” saying “now we stand at the beginning of a new era. Together and with other allies in peace, in crisis and beyond”.
At the official flag raising ceremony, Stoltenberg spoke Swedish, saying, “To all Swedes, I say ‘välkommen till NATO’ [welcome to NATO].”
Kristersson, who stood between Sweden’s Crown Princess, Victoria, and Stoltenberg at the podium, thanked NATO allies, saying “All for one and one for all.”
At a press conference, Stoltenberg asserted that Sweden’s accession to the alliance shows Vladimir Putin “failed” in his Ukrainian war strategy of weakening it.
“When President Putin launched his full-scale invasion two years ago, he wanted less NATO and more control over his neighbours. He wanted to destroy Ukraine as a sovereign state, but he failed,” Stoltenberg said.
“NATO is bigger and stronger,” he added.
Stoltenberg also appeared to reject Pope Francis’s call for Ukraine to “raise the white flag” to Russia, saying that only Putin has the option to end the war immediately.
“President Putin started this war and he could end it today. But Ukraine does not have this option. Surrender is not peace.
“We must continue to strengthen Ukraine to show President Putin that he will not get what he wants on the battlefield, but must sit down and negotiate a solution.”
Jens Stoltenberg
Ukraine Closer Than Ever To NATO Membership
Asked whether Ukraine would soon get a NATO invite, Stoltenberg remarked, “Ukraine will become a NATO ally. The question is not if but when.”
“Ukraine is now closer to NATO membership than ever before,” he added.
He said that he had confidence that “Sweden will be a very committed ally” and praised its “high class” defence capabilities and defence industry.
Stoltenberg noted that Sweden joining NATO was important for Sweden, for NATO as well as for him.
As a Norwegian, he disclosed that he has followed Sweden for many years, and that he never expected when he started the job of NATO Secretary-General in 2014 to oversee the entry of Sweden and Finland during his tenure.
“Sweden’s accession shows again that NATO’s door remains open. No one can close it. Every nation has the right to choose its own path.”
Jens Stoltenberg
On his part, Kristersson said that Sweden is now a “proud member” of NATO and pledged, “Unity and solidarity will be Sweden’s guiding lights as a NATO member.”
Kristersson added that Sweden now “will share burdens, responsibilities and risks with our allies.”
Reiterating previous comments, he said that Sweden has “come home” to NATO and that it was entering “a new era.”
However, he said his country would be not be hosting nuclear weapons on Swedish soil in peacetime, a decision that he said is being “fully respected” by the alliance.
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