IndiaTheNews Exclusive: What was the big change with Sweden’s entry into NATO? How angry was Russia with Turkiye’s move? Why did Ukraine just keep staring at everyone’s face?

This week in IndiaTheNews News Network’s special program Shaurya Path, we asked Brigadier DS Tripathi (Retd) whether the NATO chief has said that the leaders have not set any deadline for Ukraine’s inclusion in the grouping, what stand Zelensky is annoyed. Apart from this, Sweden’s entry into NATO has been approved by Turkey. However, the opposition to Türkiye’s entry into the European Union continues. How do you see all this?

In response, he said that in a surprising move, Turkey had lifted its veto on Sweden joining NATO, removing all obstacles to its membership in the military alliance. Hungary quickly followed suit, and support from both countries resulted in a consensus at the 2023 NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s agreement to support Sweden’s bid to join NATO will be considered one of the summit’s major achievements. But his move has angered Russia and he has given a direct warning to obstruct Turkey’s entry into the European Union. Sweden submitted its formal application for membership in May 2022, along with Finland. Finland has been admitted to the alliance in April 2023. Sweden, however, is not a formal member. It has had a very close relationship with NATO for nearly 30 years, since joining the Alliance’s Partnership for Peace program in 1994. It has contributed to NATO missions and, as a member of the European Union and a contributor to the bloc’s common security and defense policy, it has worked closely with the vast majority of European NATO allies.

Brig Shri DS Tripathi (Retd) said that both Sweden and Finland have dramatically changed their traditional policy of military non-alignment in order to gain NATO membership. An important reason for this move was, apparently, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It is also more evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin has failed to achieve two of his strategic objectives—weakening coalition solidarity and preventing NATO from moving forward.

Brigadier Shri DS Tripathi (Retd) said that the joining of the organization by Finland and Sweden is of vital operational importance to how NATO defends friendly nations against Russian aggression. Integrating these two countries on its northern edge (Atlantic and European Arctic) would help strengthen plans to defend its Ukraine-adjacent center (from the Baltic Sea to the Alps). This would ensure that Russia would have to contend with powerful and inter-operable military forces along its entire western frontier. Talking about why Turkey lifted its veto, it can be said that for the past few years, Turkey’s relations with NATO have been tenuous and strained. Turkey’s objections to Sweden’s membership were apparently linked to its concerns over Sweden’s policy towards the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK. Turkey has accused Sweden of harboring Kurdish terrorists. NATO has accepted this as a legitimate security concern and Sweden has made concessions in an effort to gain NATO membership. However, the main reason for the agreement must have been, as always, a single interest in the United States. US President Joe Biden appears to be moving ahead with plans to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Turkey – a deal made possible by Erdogan’s changed stance on Sweden. But it often happens that many deals around and suggestions of deals can help facilitate movement in NATO. It seems everyone, including Turkey, now sees development as a means to woo their voters.

Brig Shri DS Tripathi (Retd) said that Sweden’s joining means that all Nordic countries are now part of NATO. As well as being important from an operational and military point of view, this expansion has major political, strategic and defense planning implications. Although Finland and Sweden have been “virtual allies” for years, their formal joining of the grouping has meant some change in behaviour. Strategically, the two are now free to work seamlessly with the rest of the NATO allies to plan for collective defence. Integrating strategic plans is extremely valuable, especially given Finland’s vast border with Russia and Sweden’s occupation of important territory such as the Baltic Sea island of Gotland. This will enhance strategic interoperability and coordination.