Sweden officially joins NATO and the West welcomes: a historic day. Sweden contributes to international peacekeeping forces, but it has not witnessed a war since its conflict with Norway in 1814.
Next Monday, the Swedish flag will be raised in front of NATO headquarters in Brussels. Russia threatened to take “countermeasures” in response to the accession, which would depend on “the circumstances and extent of Sweden’s integration into NATO.” The majority of Swedes believe that their country has made “very great sacrifices” to become a member of the military alliance.