Turkey Clears Major Roadblock For Sweden’s NATO Bid: Why Was It Opposed Earlier?
After Turkey’s parliament endorsed its membership on Tuesday (January 23), Sweden moved closer to joining NATO. All the current members have to agree for a new country to become part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Turkey and Hungary had been blocking Sweden’s entry for nearly two years. Why does Sweden want to join NATO? Sweden has maintained its neutrality for two hundred years, avoiding involvement in the two World Wars and the Cold War. In recent times, it became a member of the European Union and cooperated with NATO, but it did not show any interest in joining the military alliance that is opposed by its powerful neighbour, Russia. However, this neutrality was compromised after Russia invaded Ukraine. As public opinion shifted in favour of joining NAT...
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