Former Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson revealed that US president Joe Biden wanted to hold Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO. In February 2022, shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Biden gave a clear signal by the Finnish president Sauli Niinistö: «Only calmly».
Andersson spoke about it on SVT television, discussing her autobiography "With All Her Heart". She explained: «It was a clear signal from the US to silence any of these discussions (about NATO - PAP), at least outside. They thought that at the time it was very hard for them to get a general image of the situation».
The U.S. President's request made Andersson initially exercise caution over the Alliance membership. Sweden remained out of military alliances for over 200 years, and the erstwhile Prime Minister then claimed that the neutrality of the country “still serves the safety of the country”.
Change of position
However, in May 2022 Andersson and her Social Democratic organization changed their minds. Finland began its membership efforts earlier than Sweden. The ratification process for both countries has extended Turkey's opposition and the hold of the Hungarian authorities. Finland joined NATO in April 2023, Sweden in March 2024.
Currently, Andersson is an opposition candidate for Prime Minister in next year's parliamentary elections. The polls indicate he has a chance to return to power. erstwhile asked about the consequences of Biden's request, she replied briefly: «Sweden is already in NATO».
Note: This article was created utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI).
