[HIGHLIGHTS] The Swedish flag was raised at NATO headquarters after it joined the alliance

Sweden's flag was raised alongside the flags of member states at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, making it the 32nd member. The Secretary-General of the alliance considered this result evidence of the defeat of the Russian president.

Sweden announced its candidacy to join NATO on May 18, 2022, ending decades of neutrality that followed World War II, followed by military non-alignment since the end of the Cold War. With the accession of Finland and Sweden, all countries bordering the Baltic Sea - with the exception of Russia - became members of NATO.