Sweden has been trying to join NATO for almost two years now, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Turkey and Hungary had been stalling that process, preventing Sweden from joining the Western military alliance. But recent public signals of approval from both Turkey and Hungary suggest a positive shift, indicating that the final obstacles for Sweden to join NATO might be disappearing.

Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan considers what assets Sweden can bring to NATO, and concludes that the Swedes are the most powerful NATO addition since the 1950s. With strong force projection in Arctic, amphibious, and other local terrain types, Zeihan says that the addition of Sweden will expand NATO capabilities in the Baltic theater.

The following is an excerpt from Peter’s Feb. 21 “Zeihan on Geopolitics” newsletter:

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has indicated that Sweden accession to NATO shall be ratified by the Hungarian Parliament before March 1, which means Sweden will soon be welcomed into the alliance as a full member.

Sweden will be a very capable addition to NATO, as opposed to some other nations’ lackluster contributions. Between Sweden’s military prowess and strategic position on the Baltic Sea, there’s potential that Sweden has some immediate influence over NATO policies regarding Russia and Baltic states.

I suspect that Sweden will emerge as a prominent voice within the alliance and play a large role in the coming years.