In March 2024, Sweden became NATO’s 32nd member state after a lengthy application process triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Joining the alliance comes at arguably the most turbulent time in European security since the end of the Cold War, with Russia scaling up its military industrial
"The deliberations are ongoing, and they take place within the fighter jet coalition," Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said in an interview with the Kyiv Independent in Stockholm on March 28.
NATO is not doing enough for Ukraine and some countries in the alliance don’t “understand that the conflict is here and that we need to deal with it,” Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told Euractiv on March 27.
Hydrocycles are in demand in Ukraine and can be sent "immediately," Swedish Government Offices's report reads.
Sweden joined the Czech-led initiative to supply Ukraine with hundreds of thousands of artillery shells, pledging 30 million euros ($32.6 million) to the cause, the Swedish embassy in Czechia announced on March 14.
Stoltenberg's comments came during Sweden's flag-raising ceremony at NATO headquarters which marked the final step of its accession into the alliance.
Sweden's accession to the alliance was officially completed when Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson handed the so-called "instruments of accession" to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington.
Sweden's flag will be raised at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on March 11 around noon, ceremoniously marking the country's accession to the alliance, the Swedish TV4 channel reported on March 6.
The Nordic Response 24 NATO exercises begin in northern Finland, Sweden, and Norway on March 4, for the first time with the participation of Finland as a NATO member, the Finnish public broadcaster YLE reported.
Hungarian parliament speaker Sandor Lezsak has signed off on Sweden's accession to NATO after Hungary's legislature ratified it earlier this week, Reuters reported on March 2, citing the parliament's voting records.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, as well as leaders of Germany, the U.K., and other European NATO member states, have reportedly said they are not considering deploying their troops to Ukraine after French President Emmanuel Macron suggested the possibility of Western military presence in the country.
Hungary's parliament voted to ratify Sweden's application to join NATO on Feb. 26, finalizing the country's membership after almost two years of delays.
"We are grateful for this visit and the support that Sweden is providing at this difficult time. It is not only about military assistance but also about the exchange of important experience," Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi said on Telegram.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson discussed the prospects of joint weapons production and future negotiations for signing a bilateral security guarantee agreement, according to a Feb. 24 statement by Zelensky's office.
After almost two years of delays, Hungary's parliament is set to bring Sweden's NATO accession to a vote on Feb. 26. The ruling Fidesz party has pledged its support for the measure, making its passage all but ensured.
Key developments on Feb. 20: * Ombudsman asks UN, Red Cross to investigate execution of Ukrainian POWs in Avdiivka * Sweden unveils its largest defense aid package for Ukraine worth $682 million * Death toll of Russian attack on Sumy Oblast rises to 5 * German media: Germany plans to send long-range missile systems,
The ruling party Fidesz, which has a supermajority in parliament, has pledged its support for Sweden's ratification, all but ensuring its passage if brought to a vote.
Ukraine will also receive artillery ammunition worth 2 billion Swedish kronor ($192 million), Robotsystem 70 portable anti-aircraft weapons, anti-tank missiles, Carl Gustaf grenade launchers, hand grenades, and medical transport vehicles, the SVT public broadcaster reported.
The Nordic country's defense support for Kyiv since the outbreak of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022 amounted to 22.2 billion Swedish kronor ($2.13 billion).
