After nearly two years of hard discussions, Sweden's proposal to join NATO was overwhelmingly accepted by Hungary's parliament on Monday, paving the path for the Nordic country's admission and striking a blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin's geopolitical standing.
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The final obstacle to Stockholm's NATO membership was receiving permission from the Hungarian parliament. Ulf Kristersson, the prime minister of Sweden, traveled to Budapest on Friday to speak with Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, about defense and security cooperation. The parties seemed to have made up, reaching an agreement for Hungary to purchase four brand-new Gripen fighter aircraft manufactured in Sweden.
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Just six of the 194 parliamentarians that cast ballots against Sweden's enlargement.
Sweden will legally become a member of the alliance upon submitting its instrument of accession to the government of the United States, which serves as the North Atlantic Treaty repository. With the approval of all allies, Sweden's proposal to join the block has been confirmed, according to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
"With Sweden as a member, we will all be safer and stronger," he declared.
"With Sweden as a member, we will all be safer and stronger," he declared.
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With Sweden's admission, NATO will now have 32 nations as members—an ironic development considering that Russia partly started its war against Ukraine as a result of the alliance's expansion into Eastern Europe along its border with Russia.
The alliance's border with Russia was widened by around 1,300 kilometers (830 miles) when Finland joined as its 31st member last year.
Finland and Sweden will benefit from the protection afforded by Article 5 of the alliance's founding treaty, which declares that an attack on one member is deemed an attack against all.
European members of NATO In 1949, twelve nations formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. Following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the alliance spread to include Eastern Europe. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in May 2022, Finland and Sweden submitted applications to join.
Finland and Sweden will benefit from the protection afforded by Article 5 of the alliance's founding treaty, which declares that an attack on one member is deemed an attack against all.
European members of NATO In 1949, twelve nations formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. Following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the alliance spread to include Eastern Europe. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in May 2022, Finland and Sweden submitted applications to join.
