The claim below that Sweden has not been at war in over two centuries and Finland for over eighty years is false. Both nations deployed troops to Afghanistan under NATO command where they engaged in combat operations and lost troops. Sweden also supplied warplanes for NATO’s war against Libya.

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Kyodo News
June 29, 2022

Finland, Sweden cleared for joining NATO as Turkey drops opposition

Finland and Sweden now have a clear path to membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the alliance’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday, as Turkey has withdrawn its opposition which had served as a major obstacle to the two countries joining.

“I am pleased to announce that we now have an agreement that paves the way for Finland and Sweden to join NATO,” Stoltenberg told a press conference following a trilateral meeting between Turkey, Finland and Sweden.

The development came on the eve of the 30-member trans-Atlantic alliance’s summit to be held in Madrid.

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Stoltenberg said Finland and Sweden have committed to supporting Turkey against threats to its national security, such as by cracking down on the PKK’s activities and entering into an extradition agreement, which has prompted Turkey to drop its veto.

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With their participation, NATO’s border with Russia would roughly double in length, almost certainly changing the geopolitical landscape in Europe.

Sweden has not participated in a war since the Napoleonic Wars in the 19th century, when it lost territory, and has preferred a neutral mediation role in international disputes.

Finland, which has a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia, adopted neutrality after fighting with the Soviet Union during World War II and losing some of its territory.