As Hungary approves the proposal, Sweden will make history by joining NATO.

Hungary's parliament granted approval on Monday for Sweden's accession to NATO, marking a significant milestone for the Nordic country that maintained its neutrality throughout two world wars and the Cold War era. This decision came after months of delays and a recent arms deal between the two countries, signed during Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's visit to Hungary.

With the support of 188 lawmakers in the Hungarian parliament, Sweden's NATO membership was officially endorsed, with only six votes against and no abstentions. NATO allies had been pressuring Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government to align with the accession of Sweden to the alliance.

"Finally it is done, Sweden is the 32nd member of the alliance, and this way NATO has become stronger," said Agnes Vadai, a lawmaker from the opposition party Democratic Coalition (DK), addressing the parliament.

The security policy shift in Sweden was triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. To ensure greater security within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Stockholm abandoned its non-alignment policy. Western leaders have pointed out that with Sweden joining NATO, President Vladimir Putin has inadvertently achieved the very outcome he sought to prevent when he instigated the conflict in Ukraine — an expansion of the alliance.

While Finland became a NATO member last year, Sweden faced obstacles as Turkey and Hungary raised objections due to their relatively better relations with Russia compared to other NATO members. Turkey had initially withheld ratification, demanding tougher action against militants from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) it claimed were present in Sweden. Sweden eventually made changes to its laws and relaxed regulations on arms sales to meet Turkey's demands. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also linked ratification to U.S. approval of F-16 fighter jet sales to Turkey, with Ankara now expecting U.S. congressional endorsement.

Hungary's delay in the process was primarily driven by Budapest's frustration with Swedish criticism of the direction of democratic development under nationalist Prime Minister Orban, rather than any specific demands.

Orban, who has refused to send weapons to neighboring Ukraine and repeatedly criticized Western sanctions against Russia, once again urged a ceasefire in Ukraine on Monday.

Sweden's membership in NATO, combined with Finland's, represents the most significant expansion of the alliance since its move into Eastern Europe in the 1990s. While Sweden has been increasing its cooperation with NATO in recent decades and contributing to operations in places like Afghanistan, its membership will simplify defense planning and cooperation on NATO's northern flank.

Additionally, Sweden brings valuable resources to the alliance, including advanced submarines tailored to Baltic Sea conditions and a substantial fleet of domestically produced Gripen fighter jets. The country is also increasing its military spending and is expected to meet NATO's requirement of allocating 2% of GDP to defense this year.

The ratification process will proceed with the signing of documents by the speaker of the Hungarian parliament and Hungary's president in the coming days. Subsequently, the remaining formalities, such as depositing accession documentation in Washington, are expected to be swiftly concluded