World peace is a priceless goal all countries strive for; and world organizations, political alliances, and group efforts are all focusing on progressing towards this target. NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was established in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and numerous western European nations with the idea of providing security and an alliance against the Soviet Union.
Today, their goal is to protect more than one billion individuals across Europe and North America from global threats, such as the Covid-19 Pandemic, providing relief for ongoing wars and cybercrimes. All 31 countries within this alliance are provided with equal voices, allowing for fair treatment and equitable decisions (nato.int).
Ramapo student Kirsten Seyffer commented that “NATO is a strong political alliance that would be a good move for any country not yet a part of it.” NATO has fair and proper morals that are focused on benefiting international relations as well as the efficiency of these alliances. Many people can agree with Seyffer that NATO is a positive political organization that strives to protect peace.
Following Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine, Finland and Sweden decided to start the process of obtaining membership for the NATO alliance, securing protection and support from further global conflicts in May of 2022 (theguardian.com).
The process has been long and extensive, and although Finland was granted a spot, Sweden’s membership was an even longer uphill battle. For the longest time, Türkiye vetoed the accession of both countries into the alliance, but on January 22, 2024, Türkiye finally ratified Swedish membership, leaving only one country to vote: Hungary.
Türkiye was hesitant to ratify the membership of both countries, particularly due to raised security concerns involving the Kurdish groups and the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party). The PKK is an internationally recognized terrorist group with the main goal of establishing a unified, independent Kurdistan following communist ideologies (dni.gov). Sweden’s response was to ratify a detailed amendment to their constitution, change its laws and regulations on its counter-terrorism cooperation, and resume arms exports to Türkiye (theguardian.com).
Hungary, on the other hand, did not outline a clear and substantive reason for their objections on ratifying Swedish membership; many believed their ambivalence was due to Sweden’s disapproval of Hungarian democracy (theguardian.com).
History teacher Mr. Verdon stated, “Since its inception, NATO has served as a cornerstone of international diplomacy and alliances. Born out of the fear of growing threats to democratic societies abroad during the mid-twentieth century, the organization has grown substantially over the years.” Considering NATO’s achievements, joining the alliance is something all countries should be doing as membership would further strengthen the relationships between countries in respect to morality, resources, and political advantages.
On Monday, February 26th, Hungary’s parliament approved the accession of Sweden into the NATO alliance. According to CNN.com, Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, spoke reluctantly: “‘Today is a historic day,’ Kristersson said on X shortly after the vote. ‘Sweden stands ready to shoulder its responsibility for Euro-Atlantic security.’”
Now the Nordic country is finally included in this strategic alliance, providing them with more protection and political alliances with other strong nations.
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/26/europe/sweden-nato-accession-hungary-intl/index.html
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/02/26/wires/what-to-know-on-sweden-nato/
https://www.dni.gov/nctc/ftos/pkk_fto.html#:~:text=The%20Kurdistan%20Workers’%20Party%20
