US welcomes Hungary’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO bid

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US welcomes the ​​​​​​​Hungarian Parliament’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession process, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Monday.

"We urge the Hungarian government to complete the process so we can welcome Sweden into our Alliance,” Sullivan said in a statement.

"We look forward to Hungary signing and depositing the instrument of ratification without delay. Like Finland, which recently joined our Alliance, Sweden is a strong democracy with a highly capable military that shares our values and vision for the world.”

His remarks came after the parliament voted on Monday to accept Sweden as a new member of NATO, clearing the last hurdle that had blocked the Nordic country's membership in the military alliance.

"Having Sweden as a NATO Ally will make the United States and our Allies even safer.

"NATO is the most powerful defensive alliance in the history of the world, and it is as critical today to ensuring the security of our citizens as it was 75 years ago when our Alliance was founded out of the wreckage of World War II," Sullivan added.

Hungary remained the only NATO member that had yet to approve Sweden's membership after Türkiye’s parliament last month approved its application.

Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in May 2022 following the start of Russia's war on Ukraine that February.

Finland joined the alliance as its 31st member last April.