Sweden’s NATO Membership Is Approved By Hungary

(CTN News) – Almost two years after Stockholm applied to join NATO, Hungary has approved Sweden’s NATO membership bid, ending months of diplomatic negotiations.

Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, successfully overcame longstanding opposition from governing party members to vote in favor of Sweden’s membership.

This Scandinavian country will become the 32nd member of NATO and be subject to Article 5 of the treaty, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all members.

The Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on the social networking site X shortly after the vote that it was an “historic day” for his country.

Jens Stoltenberg commented on social media that the addition of Sweden would make NATO a “safer and stronger alliance.”

Sweden applied to join NATO in May 2022 – along with Finland – following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which marked a historic change in the country’s policy of military nonalignment. As NATO seeks to bolster its defenses, its accession expands its presence in Northern Europe.

In spite of the overwhelming support Stockholm received from NATO members from its early stages, Orban refused to support Stockholm despite Swedish criticism of Hungary’s democracy. An application for membership in NATO requires unanimous approval from all members.

Both Orban and his Swedish counterpart expressed their willingness to overcome their differences during a meeting held in Budapest, Hungary, on Friday.

As part of the agreement, Sweden agreed to sell four new Gripen aircraft to Norway.

The Associated Press reports that Orban said, “To be a NATO member with another country means we are ready to die for one another.” “A deal concerning defense and military capabilities helps to rebuild the trust between the two countries.”

As a result of Hungary’s support for Stockholm, Turkey, which was the other remaining holdout, agreed last month to ratify Sweden’s membership following a yearlong delay due to security concerns.

In 2016, Ankara accused Stockholm of being too lenient towards groups it views as threats, such as Kurdish militants and members of a network responsible for a failed coup.

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