STOCKHOLM: While Finland on Tuesday (Apr 4) became a full NATO member, Sweden's membership bid remains blocked, an 'embarrassing' delay if short-lived but which could make Sweden more vulnerable and creat
, Sweden's membership bid remains blocked, an"embarrassing" delay if short-lived but which could make Sweden more vulnerable and create problems within NATO if it drags on, experts told AFP.
Finland and Sweden abandoned decades of military non-alignment and applied to join NATO in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, stressing they wanted to walk in lockstep.Whether the delay becomes a real problem depends on how long it lasts, according to experts. However, should the process drag on, it could complicate both Sweden's and NATO's defence planning in the region.
He added that a delay also means that NATO will not be able to count on Swedish military assets - such as its fleet of submarines in the Baltic Sea and JAS Gripen fighter jets.
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