Sweden clears final hurdle to become NATO's 32nd member, in major blow to Russia

스웨덴, 나토 32번째 회원국된다 푸틴 '우크라 침공' 자업자득 Sweden has finally been given approval to join NATO. The Nordic nation has discarded 200 years of neutrality, --seen as a major blow to Russia. Our Bae Eun-ji explains what this means for geopolitics surrounding the Baltic Sea. Sweden has cleared the final hurdle to become NATO's 32nd member after Hungary held a parliamentary vote to approve the move. NATO Secretary-General officially confirmed that Sweden will become a member of the block, now that all allies have approved. “This is a historic day. It makes NATO stronger, Sweden safer and all of us more secure. It also demonstrates that NATO's door is open, that President Putin did not succeed in his attempt to close NATO's door.“ The process has taken nearly two years, since Sweden applied to join the military alliance shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Finland had also applied and joined NATO in April last year. In a press conference, the Swedish Prime Minister said the country is now taking a “big step“ and also a “very natural step,“ by leaving 200 years of neutrality. He also noted how Russia’s ambitions to limit NATO expansion had actually backfired, with two Nordic countries recently joining the alliance. “As far as Russia is concerned, the only thing we can safely expect is that they do not like Sweden becoming a NATO member. They didn't like Finland becoming a NATO member either.“ With Sweden and Finland joining, the military alliance has now gained control over nearly the entire Baltic Sea. This is expected to pose a geopolitical blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as it complicates a crucial transit route for the Russian navy. It's also an ironic twist, as Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, partly because of the alliance’s growth in Eastern Europe along Russia’s border. Instead of limiting the expansion of NATO, the war in Ukraine has led to a result of the alliance now gaining two new members, further isolating Moscow on the global stage. Bae Eun-ji, Arirang News. #NATO #Sweden #Member #Russia #나토 #스웨덴 #회원국 #러시아 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook : 📣 Twitter : 📣 Homepage : 2024-02-27, 18:00 (KST)