Speaking alongside Sweden’s prime minister, opposition party leader Ulf Kristersson called it a “big day” as the government announced its decision to apply for NATO membership.
“While I deeply regret the reason we are embarking on this journey today, it is nevertheless a big day. We are finally coming home,” he said.
Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said Sweden’s government formally decided to apply for NATO membership following a debate in parliament.
Kristersson chided Russian leaders for thinking that they could “bully Ukraine.” “They thought they could scare Sweden and Finland and drive a wedge between us and our neighbors and allies,” he said. “They were wrong.”
Kristersson said the decision transcends bipartisan divides, as Sweden prepares for a general election in September.
“The prime minister and I, we disagree on many important things, and we both plan to win the upcoming general election. But on this topic, we stand absolutely united,” he said. “NATO is above party politics. We are here together today because we want fellow Swedes, NATO member states and the world to know that we will lead this process together and do what’s in the best interest of our nation — and that is, to defend the security and freedom of our people, as a democracy, together with other democracies.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/16/russia-ukraine-war-news-live-updates-putin/