The North Atlantic Alliance will soon have 32 members, including all the Scandinavian countries, from Iceland to Finland, which means that the Baltic Sea will soon become a “NATO lake”, comments the daily newspaper Le Figaro, quoted by News.ro.

Sweden’s accession to NATO is now only a matter of time and legal formalities. A political blockade imposed by Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been lifted following an agreement reached with Turkey on Monday night.

Hungary, which also did not ratify Sweden’s accession in order to have a position of strength with European countries, also announced that it would no longer resist.

Once the parliaments of these two countries ratify Sweden’s accession process, NATO will stretch from Iceland to Finland, from the North Atlantic to the Baltic Sea, and the Alliance will now be able to easily blockade the Russian ports of St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.

For Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had hoped to deter the alliance from expanding eastward by waging war against Ukraine, this is a resounding strategic failure.

“We have a lot to do” for the alliance, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a cheer after arriving at the Atlantic Alliance summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The neighboring Scandinavian countries around the Baltic Sea welcome Sweden’s accession to NATO

Despite its historical neutrality, some analysts considered Sweden a de facto member of NATO because it had long participated in allied exercises. In addition, its military cooperation with Finland and Norway is highly developed, with the development of joint defense plans.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Haar Store said “few countries are as worried” about Sweden’s entry as Norway, stressing the security and defense implications of the expansion for the Nordic countries.

“But NATO does not threaten anyone,” the prime minister hastened to add from Oslo, reminding that the alliance is purely defensive.

A similar message was sent by the President of Finland, Sauli Niinisto, who stated that Sweden’s accession to NATO “is a guarantee of peace for the countries of the Baltic Sea.”

Sweden is more important to the alliance than it seems at first glance

By becoming a full member of NATO, Sweden will gain access to military discussions between the allies. With its 14,000 soldiers, the Swedish army is limited, but its geographical position makes it necessary for the defense of northern Europe.

In particular, the island of Gotland, located in the center of the Baltic Sea, will be better integrated into NATO’s defense plans. Securing the High North is also a challenge for the Alliance.

“Both Finland and Sweden have experience in managing the challenges posed by Russia in many areas. They bring important expertise in the fight against hybrid threats and in the fight for the Arctic through an integrated, whole-of-society approach to security,” writes researcher and defense specialist Minna Alander in an article published by Le Rubicon.

For the alliance, it is also a relief and an end to the headache. Sweden did not enjoy the protection guaranteed by Article 5 of the Treaty, and this diplomatic gray zone could be used by Russia.

The “secret” received by Recep Erdogan to drop his objections to the northern country joining NATO

The price paid by the allies for the acquiescence of Recep Tayyip Erdogan is not yet known. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson pledged his country’s commitment to the fight against terrorism. Kurdish groups are constantly in the field of view of Turkey.

The Turkish president also raised the issue of Turkey’s accession to the European Union. The Capitals have not yet addressed this issue, but the topic is rhetorical. The problem was buried for a long time, reminds Le Figaro.

The rate of the agreement is rather the future supply of weapons. In particular, Ankara would like to receive American F16 aircraft. The deliveries were suspended after Turkey chose the Russian S-300 system. Washington did not want its planes to be studied in any way by Moscow.

But on Monday, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said President Joe Biden is now ready to “move forward” on the F-16.

The US Congress, which holds the key to arms supplies, also agreed to soften its position.

Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington, said that if there is a “lull” in Turkey’s operations “against its neighbors,” talks could begin.

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