INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
complete rethink of its national security policy and the realisation the alliance offered the best guarantee of safety.Swedish Prime
Minister Ulf Kristersson is in Washington to hand over the final documentation, with the White House saying in a statement ahead of
NATO, the accession of Sweden and Finland - which shares a 1,340 km border with Russia - is the most significant expansion for decades
It is also a blow for Russian President Vladimir Putin who has sought prevent any further strengthening of the alliance.Sweden will benefit
week.Sweden adds cutting-edge submarines and a sizable fleet of domestically produced Gripen fighter jets to NATO forces and would be a
with the past, when for more than 200 years, Sweden avoided military alliances and adopted a neutral stance in times of war.After World War
Two, it built an international reputation as a champion of human rights, and when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, successive governments
have pared back military spending.As recently as 2021, its defence minister had rejected NATO membership, only for the then-Social Democrat
government to apply, alongside neighbour Finland, just a few months later.While Finland joined last year, Sweden was kept waiting as Turkey
January.Hungary delayed its move until Kristersson made a goodwill visit to Budapest on Feb
