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

Sweden's flag was raised at NATO headquarters, becoming the 32nd member of the alliance (Anatolia)

Marking its official accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Sweden's flag was raised - today, Monday - alongside the flags of member states at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, making it the 32nd member after a long process, the result of which the Secretary-General of the alliance considered evidence of the defeat of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In statements he made ahead of a ceremony held at NATO headquarters, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that Sweden's accession is important for its security, the security of the northern region, and the security of the entire alliance.

Referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin's attempt to impose more hegemony on NATO and its neighbors through Russia's attack on Ukraine two years ago, Stoltenberg said, "(Putin) was wrong. NATO has become bigger and stronger."

He pointed out that the alliance does not plan to establish a combat group in Sweden, as is the case in the Baltic countries.

In turn, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed his thanks to Stoltenberg for his efforts, and his gratitude to the member states for their approval for his country to join the alliance, and pointed out that Sweden possesses military capabilities that will provide contributions to NATO on land, sea and air, pointing out that his country has doubled its defense budget in line with standards. Swearing.

The flag was raised in the presence of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, where two Swedish army officers raised the yellow and blue flag on a pole between the Spanish and Turkish flags, in alphabetical order.

Last Thursday, Stoltenberg announced, in a post on the

He added, "Sweden has become the 32nd member of NATO, and has taken its rightful place at our table."

On February 26, the Hungarian Parliament, the last parliament of member states, approved Sweden’s request to join NATO.

The Turkish Parliament approved the draft law approving the protocol for Sweden’s accession to the alliance on January 23.

With the accession of Finland and Sweden, all countries bordering the Baltic Sea - with the exception of Russia - became members of NATO.

It is noteworthy that following the outbreak of the Russian war on Ukraine, 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.

Source: Agencies