'Sweden joined NATO because of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine', Swedish Foreign Minister says

As Sweden attends its first NATO summit as a member of the alliance and after decades of neutrality, FRANCE 24's Nadia Massih spoke to Tobias Billström, Swedish Foreign Minister.
#Sweden #NATO
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[@kristofferkellinsalmi]

Thats a good politician of Sweden. ✏

[@michaelstamper5604]

It's good to know that NATO has new members as strong as Sweden and Finland. In or out of NATO, both have been strong, sturdy allies for decades. I sleep easier at night knowing that Sweden and Finland are powerful protectors that they are.

[@NeworldPics]

The amount of Russian bots are staggering. Then again I suppose managing bot accounts are better than getting sent to a hopeless front for a tzar that cares nothing for your life.

[@RealMash]

Better for them, yes. Better for humanity? I have doubts...-

[@janpetersen7440]

Sweden (and Finland) had only one choice - join NATO. 😉

[@abeldemota1851]

Putin making nato great again.

[@amunra5330]

Oh boy...not very bright are you.

[@johnadam2885]

NATO is great ? Can it send troops to Russia and fight ? It can't. Cowards cannot win wars.

[@VictorBonello]

Exactly, but then surprise surprise we see a new RUSSOCHINO ALLIANCE with satellites like Iran, North Korea, etc etc. And the West complains😂😂😂

[@fredrikbergquist5734]

@@abeldemota1851 hahaha 😛

[@annehersey9895]

Because Russia found out that taking over Ukraine was going to take a little longer than 5 days, if Sweden and Finland ever were going to join NATO, this might be their only chance and emerge unscathed!!! It was obvious within those first 5 days that Ukraine was NOT going to roll over and play dead, they were going to fight and Russia had their hands full. So Sweden and Finland made their escape because there was no chance Russia could fight a war on 2 fronts. Welcome Sweden and Finland!

[@matsfrommusic]

Glad to have such a level headed FM.

[@kantemirovskaya1lightninga30]

Wow Sweden!!! Zero politi-speak! Awesome segment and go Sweden! Show NATO how it works s done!!! Wow

[@kimhansen8615]

07:15 Nice - even the mere mention of The Orange menace immidiately scrambles the connection. The one we can not name... 🙂

[@Bawamba]

hahaha

[@arnovriends5873]

The Orange Lord of the Fries.🍟🍟🍟

[@arnovriends5873]

El Diablo Naranja🤬

[@sweus6512]

I think Sweden in 5 years gonna a big power country

[@user-st3im5ge7f]

Go back home cover a blanket to have a beautiful dream for Sweden.

[@yamahaevo]

? What does that mean

[@antonychipman3088]

What now Modi?

[@SophiesDriver]

Nadia Massih asked the right questions here, and avoided the wrong questions. FRANCE 24 English needs more people like Ms. Massih asking questions.

[@kubyoindiya3269]

Nerd

[@fredrikbergquist5734]

This is an example of the definition of democracy: ”you can say what you want and do as you are told!”

[@jamesgreen1116]

😂 nonsense.

[@orka16605]

Du har helt enkelt fel för att du har missförstått svenskarnas ställning till NATO.

[@fredrikbergquist5734]

@@orka16605 Inget referendum, folket totalt överkört.

[@fredrikbergquist5734]

@@orka16605 France24 tar bort mitt konservativa svar

[@fredrikbergquist5734]

Jag är svensk.

[@kaomoua7025]

Sweden joins NATO not because Russia war against Ukraine…Russia war Ukraine because Ukraine want to join NATO and Russia stops Ukraine!

[@MoetHolgersson]

😂

[@zolamadda5980]

So this genius thinks that the biggest nuclear power in the world shouldn't me taken seriously. Absolutely wonderful.

[@nigelgarrett7970]

Perhaps he thinks that any country should not be invading its neighbours for no reason whatsoever, whether they have nuclear weapons or not.

[@zolamadda5980]

@@nigelgarrett7970 he literally said that russia shouldn't be taken seriously. That's INSANE.

[@Pierluigi_Di_Lorenzo]

Sweden did not join because of Ukraine but because Finland had decided to join, which made the Swedish-Finish defense co-operation void. Sweden was suddenly standing alone.

[@nigelgarrett7970]

They both applied to join on the same day. They both applied to join because of the same external event. Sweden was also far from alone, as it was a member of the EU.

[@henrikl4244]

​@@nigelgarrett7970 Yes, but Finland decided first. Then they waited for Sweden to decided. So yes, biggest reason Sweden did join was because of Finland joined. Just like one reason Sweden didn't join earlier was that Finland, that's always been more negative to join NATO would stay alone as a neutral country.

[@Nels921]

@@nigelgarrett7970 And Orban and Erdogan had big problem... in 1 year.. Sweden was ok for them, crazy.

[@user-qb4kj2zl1f]

What about 2nd world war

[@emmany5302]

Unlike Ukraine, Finland managed its relationship with Russia well and avoided a military confrontation.

[@petter5721]

Putin bot!

[@thorns3559]

Yes, well, maybe because in 1939 Soviet Union invaded part of Finland. Of course, you will tread lightly against an aggressive neighbor you have dealt with before.

[@brownmold]

Sweden joined, because it was politically expedient to do so now. Rushed, without proper public debate, nor any referendum. Completely unacceptable. Had there at least been a referendum on the topic, then at least there would be a veneer of democracy.

[@BarbaraJudas]

Democracy belongs to the last century, your 20-30 years behind

[@nigelgarrett7970]

Do you know how a parliamentary democracy works?

[@brownmold]

@@nigelgarrett7970 do you know how extremely important decisions are made in democracies, that's why parliamentary democracies have referendums for significant topics. Such as leaving EU (i.e. Britain, also a parliamentary democracy...), or whether to abandon Nuclear Energy (Sweden, 1980) or whether to join the EU (Sweden, 1994) and whether to join the Eurozone (Sweden, 2003). It is outrageous that Swedish politicians rushed this through, without significant debate.

[@nigelgarrett7970]

@@brownmold And who decides whether to hold a referendum on an issue? And are there reasons why a country may decide NOT to hold a referendum? Such as the urgency of the subject of the referendum? Were there public opinion polls to try to get an indication of what the people wanted? Parliamentary democracies do not hold referendums on everything, even on everything that is important.

[@brownmold]

@@nigelgarrett7970 irrelevant, as it wasn't urgent, but the ruling political block (advocating NATO for decades, but without popukar support) had it as "urgent," because a single poll, by a newspaper in the capital, indicated that there was, at that moment, a majority for joining NATO. The first time in history such a "majority," existed. Without any real debate about what it really meant. Clearly indicated by the "information" campaign by the MSB authority felt compelled to start after Sweden joined, where basic questions that should have been discussed in a public forum prior to the decision. It is utterly pathetic. Misinformation, wishful thinking, and downright opportunism reign. Nothing to do with democracy. Parlimentary or otherwise.

[@justinkey3181]

Speaking of invasion. The American tourists invasion of Europe of countries like Spain and Greece this summer, is similar to the German armies invasion of European countries in the 1930s. Germany invaded Poland and lovely Greece in 1939, for example. Greece was occupied by German tourists, oops I mean army from 1939-1943.

[@nigelgarrett7970]

So American tourists send local people to concentration camps? Clown!

[@20102880]

😮 it was illegal for nato to go east.. not invasion..

[@vilandar]

Is this law in the UN charter?

[@dallysinghson5569]

Illegal according to whom? Written where?

[@cleasberg3461]

happy me move from sweden and EU 20 years ago to thailand my advice its for sweden make up more better police like USA wery sad to say that ok never be back sweden and dont happen why its cheaper to have funeral here yes its cheap stay here ok love rest you can buy over here yes stay here are super cheap and and rest make life happy stay here

[@chimpansi2]

Happy you moved

[@user-qb4kj2zl1f]

Spend 100% and beg door to. Door for foods

[@amunra5330]

Its so heartening to see NATO trembling because of Russia.

[@nigelgarrett7970]

ROTFLMAO!

[@created1991]

Sweden gave up their self respect and freedom... looks like they are very happy with it...😂😂😂

[@Micahpraisesjesus]

They made a large step into protecting their citizens by joining the largest peaceful alliance & superpower by far in the world. If you think this is a bad decision for Sweden and Finland you must not be very intelligent.

[@chimpansi2]

Yes, we are. 🇸🇪All is war criminal putlers fault.

[@applemos6714]

I think most Swedes accepts the NATO membership, even if they weren’t for joining. I like NATO but my stand point has always been having a strong defense together with Finland. Now when things changed drastically, with Finland joining Sweden had to follow. Much because our politicians have defunded the military for decades forcing them to shutdown regiments, abolish conscription etc. Had we kept the levels of defense we hade in the end of 80:s there wouldn’t have been a need to join. I accept the decision to join, but I don’t accept the decades of defunding.

[@jamesgreen1116]

​@Micahpraisesjesus largest peaceful alliance that invaded yugoslavia, libya, iraq, Afghanistan etc?

[@applemos6714]

@@jamesgreen1116 It’s easy to post comments without backing up your claims. First, NATO has never had any operations in Iraq. Secondly, Afghanistan op 2001 to 2014 and Libya 2011 was sanctioned by the U.N. Left is the 1999 bombings in Kosovo to put a stop to the Serbians ethnic cleansing of Kosovo Albanians.

[@alextran7680]

NATO ? What can NATO do ? Counting Ukrainian casualties to please Putin ?

[@trevorsutherland5263]

"Sweden joined NATO because of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine"...because NATO illegally regime changed Ukraine's President in order to be able to use the land to move their forces closer to Russia. The very definition of a *circular argument*

[@Nubbe999]

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the US are at the same distance from Russia as Ukraine. ICBM, submarines and fighter jets have been used for a very long time so it's not like you need to share borders to be able to strike Russia. NATO can strike Russia whenever it wants just like Russia can strike NATO whenever it wants. And what is NATO going to do with forces at the Russian border? let's say 1 million NATO soldiers are at the border between Ukraine and Russia. What are they going to do? Invade the biggest country in the world that has 6000 nukes? It's so dumb, your statement makes no sense.

[@chimpansi2]

Bs.

[@nigelgarrett7970]

So Ukraine's president going against the will of its parliament and people is somehow NATO's fault? How do you figure that out?

[@waynegore5291]

Sweden: vassal is at work.

[@user-de1zf7mx4e]

Sputnikbot

[@tmusic99]

Medieval brain at work.

[@user-de1zf7mx4e]

@@tmusic99 Sputnikbot

[@davidthompson6636]

No. It was an economic decision

[@user-de1zf7mx4e]

Sputnikbot

[@user-qb4kj2zl1f]

We do not need your security

[@thsimpsonsguy]

We all know where you're from, stop pretending

[@user-de1zf7mx4e]

Sputnikbot

[@BrandyHeng007]

Sweden could have sign a Peace Agreement with Russia to stay neutral but chose NATO instead.

[@chimpansi2]

Ha ha, and trust Putler, ha ha. Dumbo.

[@BrandyHeng007]

YankeeNut

[@nigelgarrett7970]

How did Ukraine's security guarantees with Russia work out? Why would anyone trust a Russian assurance?

[@matsfrommusic]

What?? Who would be that stupid?

[@mayaq8324]

Exactly