Sweden does not plan to join NATO

Sweden has no plans now to apply for NATO membership and isn’t considering the issue, the country’s Foreign Minister Ann Linde said on Monday.

This is stated in the foreign policy declaration 2022, released by the country’s government.

“Freedom from military alliances serves us well and contributes to stability and security in Northern Europe,” Linde said.

Such a course, she added, implies an active, broad, and responsible security and foreign policy combined with deepening defense cooperation, including transatlantic cooperation.

The declaration makes no mention of the so-called NATO option. In December 2020, a parliamentary majority voted in favor of declaring that Sweden, like Finland, has this option. It means that Sweden retains the possibility of applying for membership in this alliance.

The declaration also assesses security policy, and includes the wording “an armed attack on Sweden cannot be ruled out.” The government made this assessment in its General Defence Bill 2020, which was based on an analysis by the Defence Committee.