Hungary, which had opposed membership, also passed ratification.
Sweden votes in favor of providing fighter jets
NATO surrounds strategically important Baltic Sea
NYT “Putin’s unexpected invasion results”
Sweden’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which had maintained its status as a neutral country for 210 years after going to war with Norway in 1814, was confirmed on the 26th. It has been 21 months since Sweden applied to join NATO in May 2022, three months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
With the addition of Finland and Sweden last year, NATO’s most significant expansion since its expansion into Eastern European countries in the late 1990s. In particular, NATO member countries have come to surround the Baltic Sea, a strategic point in the Arctic Circle bordering Russia’s second largest city, St. Petersburg. NATO is expected to rebuild its defense line against Russia centered on Gotland Island in southeastern Sweden in the future.
Russia, which invaded Ukraine under the promise of preventing NATO expansion, received the exact opposite result. The New York Times (NYT) analyzed, “This is the result of the invasion of Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to calculate.”
The Hungarian Parliament, which had been opposed to Sweden’s NATO membership ever since its application, passed a bill to ratify Sweden’s membership. As a result, Sweden, which has secured the consent of all existing member countries required to join NATO, will go through detailed procedures and become the 32nd member of NATO as early as March. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said, “It is a historic day,” and added, “We are ready to take responsibility for European and transatlantic security.”
Finland, which applied for NATO membership like Sweden, succeeded in joining early in April last year. However, Sweden encountered opposition from Turkey and Hungary, which had maintained a pro-Russian stance ever since the invasion of Ukraine.
The situation gained momentum after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban held a summit meeting with Prime Minister Kristerson on the 23rd. According to NYT, etc., the atmosphere changed as Sweden decided to provide Hungary with four additional domestically produced ‘Gripen’ fighter planes that are already being used by the Hungarian Air Force. Prime Minister Orban also said at the summit, “Being a member of NATO means being ready to die for each other.”
Turkye also allowed Sweden to join last month when it was able to purchase American F-16 fighter jets. Accordingly, the prevailing analysis is that both Türkiye and Hungary traded ‘Sweden’s accession’ for ‘strengthening their own air power’. There is an assessment that President Putin’s external leadership has suffered a blow due to the change in position of Prime Minister Orban, who is considered ‘Putin’s friend’ and is blocking the unity of the West.
Finland, which shares a 1,300km border with Russia, and Sweden have joined NATO, putting NATO in a position to completely surround Russia in the strategically important Baltic Sea. On the Baltic Sea coast is Russia’s extraterritorial territory and key military base, Kaliningrad. Iskander ballistic missiles are deployed here, and there are numerous Russian fleets nearby.
Additionally, with the exception of Russia, the United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, all of which surround the Arctic, became NATO members, and the Arctic Ocean also became part of NATO. According to the British Telegraph, the Northern Fleet, a key unit of the Russian Navy, is located in the Arctic. The Arctic Ocean area is rich in natural resources such as oil, natural gas, nickel, and zinc, and is considered an important economic area.
Military experts believe that with Sweden and Finland joining NATO, it has become virtually impossible for Russian nuclear submarines to maneuver in international waters without detection by NATO member countries.
On this day, Russia counterattacked NATO expansion by reviving the Moscow and St. Petersburg Military Districts, which were abolished 14 years ago. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu mentioned the revival of the military district earlier this year, citing Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO, saying, “Army and weapons capable of striking important targets in northwestern Russia to significant depths may appear.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.