Sweden is set to join NATO: What to know about the military alliance

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February 27, 2024 at 4:28 a.m. EST
Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson speaks during a news conference Monday after Hungary's parliament voted to ratify Sweden's NATO accession. (Magnus Lejhall/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
4 min

Sweden is set to join NATO after Hungary’s parliament voted Monday to approve its membership, ending a standoff that has lasted almost two years. NATO officials and diplomats said membership formalities could be completed by the end of the week.

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The historic expansion of the military alliance — Finland also joined last year — was set in motion by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Sweden and Finland both put aside years of military nonalignment to seek security within NATO after Russia’s invasion in 2022. Their membership is expected to strengthen NATO’s capabilities in the high north and the Baltic Sea.

NATO member countries and allies, including the United States, have provided Ukraine with more than $175 billion worth of military, financial and humanitarian aid since Russia’s invasion.

Hungary's parliament approved Sweden's long-delayed bid to join NATO, paving the way for the second expansion of the military alliance in a year. (Video: Reuters)