STOCKHOLM – Sweden’s government plans to submit an application to join NATO next week, following neighbour Finland in re-writing its post-World War Two security policy in the wake of Russia’s attack of Ukraine, Expressen newspaper reported on Thursday.
Sweden’s parliament will debate the security situation on Monday and Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson will then call a special cabinet meeting where the formal decision to apply will be taken, Expressen said, citing unnamed sources.
An application will be sent directly after that, assuming nothing unexpected occurs, sources told the daily.
Following Russia’s attack of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special military operation”, Sweden and Finland have both been widely expected to seek greater security by joining NATO and abandoning decades of military non-alignment.
Expressen also reported, citing sources, that an all-party review of Swedish security policy due on Friday will conclude that NATO membership would work as a deterrent if Russia wanted to invade Sweden.
