Sweden’s ruling Social Democratic party has endorsed Stockholm applying for a NATO membership, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Sunday.
“Today the Social Democratic party has concluded that Sweden should join NATO,” Andersson said. According to Reuters, the Social Democrats had opposed joining NATO for decades and favored the country’s historic non-alignment, which kept Sweden out of both world wars.
“Our 200-year long-standing policy of military non-alignment has served Sweden well, but the question at hand is whether military non-alignment will keep serving us well,” Andersson said.
The Swedish leader agreed with her party and said the “best thing” for the people of Sweden is to join the alliance. “We believe Sweden needs the formal security guarantees that come with membership in NATO,” she said.
Also on Sunday, the leaders of Finland reaffirmed that Helsinki plans to apply to NATO and officially announced Helsinki’s intention to join the alliance. The Finnish parliament is expected to approve the move in the coming days.
Finland shares an over 800-mile border with Russia, and Russian officials have warned if Helsinki joins NATO, Moscow would deploy more forces to the region. Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said Sunday that he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about his plans to join NATO.
Niinisto said the Russian leader took the news calmly. “He confirmed that he thinks it’s a mistake. We are not threatening you. Altogether, the discussion was very, could I say, calm and cool,” Niinisto said.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed pacts with both Finland and Sweden promising to come to their defense if they are attacked during the NATO application period. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde had previously said that the US has given Stockholm “assurances” that it would respond if Sweden is attacked during the application process, but said they were not as strong as NATO-style security guarantees.
Turkey has expressed some opposition to Finland and Sweden joining NATO over their alleged support for the PKK, a Kurdish militant group Ankara considers a terrorist organization. But Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Sunday that they don’t expect Turkey to block their bid for membership.
“Social Democrats had opposed joining NATO for decades and favored the country’s historic non-alignment, which kept Sweden out of both world wars.” — but this will not work in future? why? no answer given…
Read the news, the leading Social Democrats say that their neutrality has served them well in the past but they now need the defense guarantees provided by NATO:s article 5. That’s because, according to the Social Democrats, the “situation” in Europe changed totally when Russia attacked Ukraine.
More importantly, the “security situation” changed before Russia invaded! That change is WHY the invasion occurred. The U.S was greviously weakened by its GWOT. Attacking 3rd. rate states, chasing & chasing tribal folk in Afghanistan DOES NOT appear as deterrence to Russia or China So when U.S. and it’s NATO Gnomes roar it rings more than a little hollow. U.S squandered it’s leading role in peer warfare, and has a lot of catching up to do
I agree that vast amount of resourses were wasted at pursuing stupid wars in the Middle East, however, the US can comfortably beat Russia in a war with conventional forces. Even with one hand tied behind its back. In fact, the USAF would make sure it was over before it even really started.
Little neocon lover bacon dreaming of war against EVIL RUSSIA THAT HACKED THE ELECTION!!! You never have anything real to add to the discussion, do you? You come here only to dream about war.
Haha, Russia isn’t competent enough to hack your elections, so keep on dreaming about that!
Let’s wish for peace and as the Russians are retreating again, it seems pretty likely too.
You keep having that recurring wet dream: “the US can comfortably beat Russia in a war with conventional forces.” but, but…there are nuclear weapons! surprise!. So why salivate at a wish? Let your wet dream come to the obvious ending.
LOL “read the news” Why does little bacon always sound like a kid? He can’t talk normally to people. And hilarious to accept a line of platitudes as The Explanation. Aww, funny little baby.
Kiddo, you indeed sound like a baby with your cute LOLs, you must be a little girl!
You’re right. It doesn’t compute, there are no positives. Which leads one to suspect that what Washington put on the table were threats -of sanctions, probably.
US/NATO has been the major threat to peace in Europe and the World since the Cold War. But Putin’s stupid invasion of the Ukraine changed the calculus. Putin’s generals are already talking openly about marching on to Transnistria. If Putin’s goal is to reverse 30 years of Russia’s strategic decline, then changed the calculus. By using preemptive war of aggression then the war in Ukraine is a prelude for more Russian aggression. I hope the Russian people see what a disaster this was has been for Russia and pull the plug on Putin’s megalomania before he inflicts more damage to Russia and tragedy on the Ukraine. Enough is enough!
Look, trolling this list with the party-line is worse than useless for your lot. We all know very well the events of the last 30 yrs, especially the last 8, since the Neocon/Nazi take-over of Ukraine. We followed closely how mightily Putin tried to avoid conflict -the agreement with EU and Kiev immediately following the coup to hold new elections in 3 months, and when, violated Minsk I, and again, Minsk II. We know that as recently as last Dec. 17, he proposed very moderate and reasonable terms -neutral Ukraine with respect for human rights. But we also know that at the 2008 OSCE Munich Conference the US promised Ukraine & Georgia admission to NATO. We know the hostile fabricated propaganda by the Atlantic Council, et. al., and the 20 years of economic warfare. And we’ve known since the ’91 Wolfowitz memo of Washington’s goal of global hegemony. We know how the Neocon US and its partners have trashed international law and solemn conventions, unilaterally canceled the most critical of arms control and verification regimes, imposed the cruelest economic sanctions on whole populations, and under spurious provocation visited wholesale destruction on large parts of the middle-East and N. Africa killing and displacing millions. We know who the aggressor is. Essentially Putin was given the same option as Qadhafi. Where, even that would not accept “yes” for an answer. The US/NATO/Nazis have succeeded in making Putin look the saint by comparison.
Robert, have you checked so there aren’t any nazis hiding under your bed?
You’re referring to the surveillance police. Admiral Poindexter intro’d the surveillance state, TIA (total information awareness) under GHW Bush. His miscreant progeny brought it to perfection with The Patriot Act. So doubtless they’re under there too.
I’m referring to the Azov battalion, they seem to be everywhere!
Please check under your bed again.
Same difference. So, yes, but there’s nothing I can do about it.
I’m sure they have infiltrated your surrondings, you should really check and even double check.
Better safe than sorry, I’ve heard they are really difficult to get rid of.
Yes lamentably the cockroaches have taken over. Thanks for your concern.
US/NATO and a few of its member nations are responsible for most of the misery in the world for the past 75 years. The strategic balance between USSR/Russia and US/NATO shifted when NATO expanded from 16 to 30 nations. That sucks.. Putin’s demands for Ukrainian neutrality were reasonable. But his decision to launch a war of aggression backfired badly. He is strengthening the right wing in Ukraine, strengthening NATO and wrecking the Russian military and its economy. Russia is a declining power and its leadership needs to work closely with China , the African Union, the Bolivarian countries, Cuba , Iran , North Korea and their allies to build a new world order on China’s time line. And, as the Chinese have shown, the answer to US/NATO aggression is peaceful competition, not war. Putin chose the wrong path and the invasion boomeranged on Russia.
You’re judgements are a tad premature.
“Putin’s stupid invasion of the Ukraine”
Did you miss the little fact that Donbass was bombed 20 times PER DAY for seven years? In the last two weeks before Russia stopped them, the bombings increased to about 1,000 per days in preparation for an invasion of Donbass. Leaving out that part, don’t you? What’s “stupid” about stopping the amassed invasion force of 60,000 from invading Donbass?
“By using preemptive war of aggression”
Funny when you use platitudes without stopping to think. “preemptive war” would have been enough, it means to attack first. “of aggression” means to attack. You already said that with “preemptive war”. But you just had to get AGGRESSION! in there. Except it was the Washington-financed coup regime in Kiev that struck first, by killing many thousands of people in Donbass and driving hundreds of thousands from their homes, before the planned invasion.
Indeed, they should cut their losses and offer Putin a place in an asylum where he could live after he’s “convinced” to retire.
I wonder how they’ll feel when they get drawn into one of NATO’s idiotic imperial wars?
They could very surely end up burnt, literally. When rats fall off the dock, they usually swim to shore… not out toward some old leaky hulk. Kill the chicken to scare the monkey time may be approaching. Finland should know better, Sweeden not so much
Who would have thought that Putin would turn out to be such an asset for NATO?
Thanks to him:
– Sweden and Finland have made a U-turn and decided to join the alliance, something that was unthinkable before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
– NATO will now control the whole of Northern Europe and will therefore be able to defend the Baltic countries in case of a Russian attack. Key here is the access that Finland and Sweden provide and total control of the Baltic Sea.
– Germany has commited to increase it’s military spending with almost 100% and become a significant military power once again.
Illuminating that neither country allowed a referendum on the subject.
That is why Sweden is known as a ship of fools.
As opposed to Americans. Which country is Biden in again?
Fools still have an ability to think they just make bad decisions. America is a country of lemmings following a senile brain dead Joe Biden off of a cliff.
Wow, who would have thought that Putin would turn out to be such an asset for NATO?
Thanks to him:
– Sweden and Finland have made a U-turn and decided to join the alliance, something that was unthinkable before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
– NATO will now control the whole of Northern Europe and will therefore be able to defend the Baltic countries in case of a Russian attack. Key here is the access that Finland and Sweden provide and total control of the Baltic Sea.
– Germany has commited to increase it’s military spending with almost 100% and become a significant military power once again.
– Annihilation of Russian forces and equipment in Ukraine neuters Russia’s ability to threaten it’s neighbours for the foreseeable future.
Germany will take decades to be “significant military power once again.” No nukes, no significant power against the nuclear armed.
Seems like Putin’s supporters are using overusing the nuclear threat. I hope the Russian people realize that Putin’s war has been a strategic disaster for Russia and force a change of policy one way or another. Russia never should have invaded the Ukraine.
LOL “Putin’s war” Except it’s the coup regime in Kiev that has bombed Donbass for seven years. You’re a liar by omission when you constantly leave that out and pretend it never happend. Dictator Zelensky increased the attacks to about 1,000 per day in the days before Russia intervened to save the people from your beloved Washington’s aggression.
Okay, little buddy. How is it a “strategic disaster” to free the people in Donbass and establish a land bridge to Crimea? You’re funny.
First of all, the dispute between secessionists and the Ukrainian government is an internal matter. You don’t invade countries because their governments kill people unless the mass murder reaches the level of a holocaust.
The best estimates are that in eight years of fighting there were 14,000 civilians and fighters on both sides killed in Donbass. Tens of thousands were killed in Putin’s war and more casualties are on the way.
In general, wars are much worse than the grievances that cause them.
This war has been a tragedy for Ukraine and an unfolding catastrophe for Russia.
This war was set up by NATO and Putin stupidly took the bait. Now thousands of Russian soldiers are dead, NATO is expanding, Russia is isolated and their economy can’t hold up to the Western sanctions. Putin should have consulted with Xi before he invaded and followed Xi’s advice.
Putin has been a strategic disaster? Says who? The daily Pentagon assessment that the Russians were planning to take over Ukraine in 2 days? a country twice the size of Iraq and with the same population (44 million)?
Keep it in perspective. It took us and the NATO gang (10 countries attacking Iraq (and Ukraine was one of them)) a month and half of shock and awe, 24/7 bombing before we put boots on the ground. That is, after NATO attacked Iraq after the Kuwait invasion and degraded Saddam’s army to half or maybe more. Carpet bombing was used.
It would have been easy to bomb Ukraine to smithereens and then send the army. But it seems the Russians dont want to turn it into rubble.
Umm… The truth is the Russians are losing. This is a typical asymmetric war of national resistance. When the indigenous weaker adversary has popular support the stronger invader invariably loses. I was shocked when Putin chose a war of a aggression. But it retrospect he was a typical Russian chauvinist who didn’t understand that Ukrainians have been enduring, resenting and sometimes resisting Russian imperialism for over 500 years. I discount much of the propaganda on both sides. But it is clear that the Russians are making little headway agaisnt stiff resistance. The Russians may eventually overcome the Ukrainian army. But the guerrilla resistance will make it impossible for the Russians to pacify any place in the Ukraine except Crimea.
Fact check:
The invasion Iraq war began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 days of major combat operations.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_invasion_of_Iraq
73% of the forces were from the US.
If your goal is to spread disinformation, try to be a little bit more subtle.
Their pledge to massively increase their military spending is a good start, especially since they by far have the largest economy in Europe.
Don’t think they ever will be a nuclear power though.
Aww, neocon-loving bacon trying to find something good in this, so cute. Sweden and Finland will never attack Russia or be of any real use to NATO, but Russia has liberated Donbass and established a land bridge to the free Crimea.
Got that? Go cry now. So sad for you that the people in Donbass and Crimea don’t have to be ruled by the US-financed coup regime in Kiev. I understand you have to post obsessively about it every day.
“total control of the Baltic Sea” Gotta put that in caps to scream! Look, I wins, I wins!
Except Russia is still in the Baltic Sea just like before. The forces in the Baltic Sea won’t change. And matter to zero percent.
Wanna know what matters, little neocon lover? That Donbass is free. Aww, please, don’t cry so hard. I told you already. Here’s your safety blanket.
Hey, you little Russki there, I thought your English seemed a bit off before.
“I wins, I wins”
ROFL, didn’t you take any courses in English before you fled your stinking home-country?
Sorry to break it to you, you silly sheep, but the Baltic Sea will be NATO territory soon. The tiny, tiny little access Russia has to that sea can easily be blocked with mines in an afternoon.
And in Kharkiv the Russian army is in full retreat, again! They are truly masters at fleeing!
It will be very instructive how this confronation works out. I’m sure all will agree that there are many things which would completely transform this situation from one of a distant proxy match, to an exitential threat situation for all the non-nuclear bomb players with little or no strategic depth. One need not expend very much thinking to see the shape of this new reality. It’s shape is the shape of the big powes in Eastern Europen & Asia…
The problem Russia has is that it can’t take any other country with conventioal forces. In fact the Russians can’t even take Ukraine, they have just retreated from Kharkiv.
And I don’t think the Kremlin is stupid enough to start nuking NATO countries, especially since no country in Europe will invade Russian itself.
The clear winner so far is China, the obvious loser is Russia.
China will be able to negotiate very favourable terms from Russia, regardless if it’s Russian oil/gas exports or imports of semi-conductors etc etc.
Apart from losing face due to its humiliating losses, poor Russia’s weapon export will go down the drain.
No country will buy their military equipment after this disaster.
In addition, their forces have been neutered and to top it all of, they are heavily sanctioned.
So a rising threat in Asia and a collapsing one in Eastern Europe.
The Russian Government rightly looks upon NATO as a threat to Russia. Expanding NATO by incorporating Sweden and Finland merely increases that threat. It boils down to pouring gasoline on the fire.
Sweden and Finland in NATO actually won’t do anything, and it’s not even sure they’ll stay in NATO in the future. What matters is freeing the people in Donbass, and that’s done now. The liberation happened in just the right year, to mess with Dementia Biden’s handlers before the midterms. That’ll be fun to run on: Bungling the Afghan withdrawal and failing to re-occupy eastern Ukraine despite the enormous amount of money poured in, when ordinary Americans have to drive for hours just to find baby formula for their children.
Are you trying to cover up the mess Putin has created?
And why are you writing so many comments about Finland and Sweden if they don’t matter anyway?
One thing Finland and Sweden shouldn’t worry about is they have lots of lands for lots of Graves…!
Russia invaded Ukraine because of the real possibility that Ukraine would kick them out of Crimea, their only deep water base with access to the Atlantic. That NATO would move into the Russian base was almost a fact.
If the US had their only deep water naval base in Acapulco, Mexico as their only way out to the Pacific and the Russians staged a coup and installed a Russian puppet in Mexico, the US would invaded Mexico in a heartbeat and nobody would call it a stupid invasion.
This shows that the social democrats in Sweden and Finland are now run by children. They have no thoughts beyond the headlines served by the New York Times and WaPo, which are read and repeated by the media all over the West.
In the past there was such a thing as principles, and “the principle of neutrality” meant something. Now? Gotta join what’s popular for the moment. And FAST, while people are brainwashed by the never-ending stream of headlines about Hitler is Putin. If you wait until the Ukraine war is over it’s too late.
Of course, in the past the West’s enemy was the communist Soviet Union, and many social democrats dreamed of the Soviets invading Western Europe. And U.S. presidents could be men like Reagan, which the leftists hated, unlike the Soviet leaders they gave endless excuses for. The social democrats sent the people’s tax money to Cuba to help promote the communist efforts to enslave the world. Today the West is completely run by Cultural Marxism and the enemy is a conservative Russia. Then they join NATO, run by leftists like Biden.