Sweden’s NATO Accession Unlocks Defense Options to Fend Off Russia

Bloomberg:  Sweden’s entry into NATO can help solve a critical problem for military planners mapping out the alliance’s defenses against a potential Russian attack: how to rapidly shuttle troops, weapons and other provisions to a front anywhere from the Baltic to the Arctic.

After months of delays, the green light for Sweden’s membership means the Nordic nation can finally be woven into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s intricate defense plans, which designate Russia as a primary threat.

The move is more pressing with Russian troops starting to advance in Ukraine again. With Russian President Vladimir Putin’s expansionist ambitions apparent, European officials have started warning about the prospect of an attack on NATO within the next few years.

“We know that our eastern neighbor is highly unpredictable and also unfortunately very aggressive,” Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said in an interview. “But Sweden knows, and we also tell Sweden, that as members of NATO we are stronger together.”

After decades of non-alignment, Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO within months of the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, fearing they were vulnerable to Putin’s aggression.

Finland became a member of the alliance in April, while Sweden was left in limbo by Turkey and Hungary.

Budapest was the last of the 31 allies to back Sweden’s accession with the parliament signing off in late February, after the two nations sealed a deal to ship four additional Swedish Gripen fighter jets to Hungary.

Sweden’s membership was completed as remaining paperwork was submitted on Thursday. Its flag will be raised at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Monday.