Official: Sweden sign NATO membership application

Sweden have officially signed the application to join NATO today. Tuesday, May 17.

This happened following the country’s announcement on Monday concerning their readiness to actualise the move.

Swedish foreign minister, Ann Linde speaking on the membership, “It feels very big, very serious, and it feels like we have arrived at a conclusion which is the best for Sweden.

“We don’t know how long it will take, but we calculate that it could take up to a year.

“Now, this week, this application will be submitted, together with Finland, in a day or so, and then it will be processed by NATO.”

On Thursday, May 12, Finland President. Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin also officially declared their country’s readiness to join the alliance.

The submission of the official application by the two countries in the coming days will end their decade-old neutrality.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reacted to the alliance in a statement to the leaders of the CSTO – a Russian-dominated security alliance of former Soviet states.

He said, “As to enlargement, Russia has no problem with these states – none. And so in this sense there is no immediate threat to Russia from an expansion (of NATO) to include these countries”.