Sweden Clears Final Hurdle to Join NATO

Hungary ended its holdout after signing a defense deal with the Scandinavian nation, which will become the alliance’s 32nd member.

Swedish Prime minister Ulf Kristersson during a press conference at a meeting of the European Council at The Europa Building in Brussels, Belgium, on June 30, 2023. John Thys/AFP via Getty Images

Sweden is set to join NATO as Hungary ratified its inclusion in the military alliance. Hungary was the only remaining nation among the 31 member NATO states that hadn’t ratified Sweden’s entry.

On Feb. 26, the Hungarian parliament approved Sweden’s entry into NATO by a vote of 188–6, thus ending an almost two-year-long effort to get the Nordic nation into the group.