Sweden's government - led by the Social Democratic Party - made a formal decision on Monday to apply for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), following the approach of its neighbor Finland in a move that will redraw the geopolitical map of northern Europe, while Russian President Vladimir Putin said that This move does not threaten Russia, but it may prompt it to retaliate.

"There is a large majority in Sweden's parliament in favor of joining NATO... The best thing for Sweden and for the Swedish people is to join NATO," Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said after a debate on security policy in parliament.

"We are leaving an era and entering a new era," Andersson added, noting that the application is expected to be submitted jointly with Finland in the coming days.

Earlier on Monday, the majority of parties in the Swedish parliament expressed their support for the move to join NATO.

In contrast, the Green and Left parties, which together have only 43 seats out of the 349 total seats in Parliament, contested.

During a joint press conference with Ulf Krettersson, leader of the conservative "Moderatna" party, Andersson - belonging to the Social Democratic Party - said Monday afternoon, "There is a lot in Sweden that is worth defending and this will happen best within NATO, according to our estimation."

For his part, Criterson said, "We are currently living in a dangerous time," describing the day as "historic."

Anderson (right) at a joint press conference with Ulf Criterson, leader of the conservative "Moderatna" party (Reuters)

step and endorsement

Yesterday, the government of neighboring Finland announced its intention to apply to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the approval of the majority of members of the Finnish parliament is almost certain, and the issue has been discussed continuously for hours in Parliament.

In doing so, the two countries will abandon a long-standing tradition of not joining military alliances.

Accession procedures will begin when Helsinki and Stockholm submit their applications to NATO headquarters in Brussels.

To complete this step, all members of the Alliance (30 countries) must agree.

Swedish Defense Minister Peter Holtqvist said - on his country's television today, Monday - that Stockholm has received signals from various countries (in the alliance) that it is determined to agree to this step as soon as possible, indicating that his country is determined to reach a solution with Turkey, which expressed its criticism of joining Turkey. Sweden and Finland.

The Swedish minister added, "We will send a delegation that will hold discussions and dialogue with Turkey, to see how we can solve this issue and what is actually related to it, but the signal we received from NATO is that there is a prevailing agreement on the necessity of the presence of both Sweden and Finland (in the alliance)."

Putin described NATO expansion as an artificial problem in the interests of Washington (Reuters)

swipe and wave

Earlier on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Sweden and Finland's candidacy for NATO membership did not threaten Russia, but might prompt it to retaliate, describing the move as a mistake that would stoke military tension.

Putin has repeatedly stated that the expansion of NATO to the east after the collapse of the Soviet Union towards the Russian borders is one of the reasons for the military operation on Ukraine, saying, "We have no problems with Sweden and Finland, and the expansion of NATO on their territories will require a response from us."

In statements he made at the Collective Security Treaty Organization summit meeting, Putin described NATO expansion as an artificial problem in the interest of Washington, considering that what is happening in Ukraine is part of a test of mechanisms to destabilize the former Soviet Union, as he put it.

Putin stated that Russia is witnessing on its borders near Ukraine the expansion of neo-Nazis and hate speech.

Russia's war on Ukraine caused one of the biggest changes in the European security architecture in decades and prompted Sweden and Finland to take the previously uninspired step of joining NATO.

Finland shares with Russia a border of about 1,300 km in length.


Error and warning

For his part, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned against the possible accession of the two countries, describing it as a "fatal mistake with serious repercussions," warning that military tensions would increase because of this, and directed his speech to Finland and Sweden, saying, "You should not be under the illusion that we will simply accept this." ".

"They should have no illusions that we will simply turn a blind eye to this, and neither should Brussels, nor Washington, nor the other capitals of NATO countries," Ryabkov was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency.

Ryabkov, who has led talks with the United States on a Russian proposal to halt NATO's eastward expansion, said Helsinki and Stockholm's decision to join the alliance was wrong.

"The general level of military tension will rise, the predictability in such an atmosphere will be reduced. Unfortunately, common sense is sacrificed in exchange for illusory assumptions about what to do in this unfolding situation."