NATO’s Norwegian Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has for almost two years supported and cherished Sweden’s path into NATO. On Monday evening, when Hungary was the last country to approve Sweden’s NATO application, the joy is clearly noticeable. – It is a historic day. It makes NATO stronger, and makes Sweden safer, says Natotoppen in an interview with TV4 Nyheterna. When asked how happy he is on a scale from 1 to 100 about the announcement, he replies: – I don’t have such a scale but I am happy today, first of all I am satisfied that all NATO member states have approved Sweden’s NATO application. Stoltenberg adds that Sweden contributes to NATO with a strong defense, well-trained soldiers and advanced military capabilities. – I am sure that it makes Nordic cooperation even stronger and even better. Prepared for reactions from Russia Stoltenberg at the same time expects some type of reaction from Russia to the Swedish membership. But he does not believe in any military Russian response. – We are prepared, but a military aggression from Russia is unthinkable. Russia has had enough of handling the situation in Ukraine, says Stoltenberg. – We can probably count on tougher rhetoric and other markings against our strengths. But I don’t believe in any serious military attack against Sweden or any other NATO country, he continues. Hungary was the last of NATO’s currently 31 member states to approve Sweden becoming a new NATO member. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party has repeatedly delayed the vote. In December 2021, Russian President Putin demanded that NATO not allow more countries to join the defense alliance. But shortly after the invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden chose to apply.
t4-general