Sweden joined NATO in Washington on Thurs, 2yrs after #Russia's #invasion of Ukraine forced it to rethink its #NationalSecurity policy & conclude …the #alliance was the Scandinavian nation's best guarantee of #safety.
PM Ulf Kristersson handed over the final documentation to the #UnitedStates govt on Thurs, the last step… to secure the backing… to join the #military alliance.
"Good things come to those who wait," #UnitedStates Secretary of State Antony #Blinken said as he received #Sweden's accession docs from Kristersson.
"This is a historic moment for Sweden, for our alliance & for the transatlantic relationship," Blinken said.
For #NATO, the accessions of Sweden & #Finland - which shares a 1,340 km border w/ #Russia - are the most significant additions in decades. It is also a blow for #Putin who has sought to prevent any further strengthening of the #alliance.