Sweden joins NATO
Two centuries of neutrality end, and the Baltic becomes a NATO lake.
- When
- Known to
- ± 12 hours
- Era
- Contemporary, Holocene
- Where
- Stockholm, Sweden · 59.3293° N, 18.0686° E
Sweden became NATO's 32nd member on 7 March 2024, twenty months after applying alongside Finland and after prolonged objections from Turkey and Hungary. Sweden had been formally non-aligned since 1814, the longest such record in Europe. With Finland's accession the previous year, every Baltic coastline except Russia's now belongs to the alliance — the exact opposite of the stated aim of Russia's invasion.