AMN/ WEB DESK
1Sweden has received assurances from the United States that it would receive support during the period a potential application to join NATO is processed by the 30 nations in the alliance. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said this in Washington yesterday.
Sweden and neighbour Finland stayed out of NATO during the Cold War, but Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its military action in Ukraine have led the countries to rethink their security policies. Both countries are concerned they would be vulnerable during an application process, which could take up to a year to be approved by all NATO members. After meeting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Linde told Swedish TV that she is not going into any details, but she feels that now they have an American assurance.