STOCKHOLM, March 7. /TASS/. As Sweden is joining NATO it risks being dragged into someone else’s conflicts, Hakan Svenneling, a lawmaker representing the Left Party, told SVT television.
"I think Sweden's accession is negative. We now risk being drawn into someone else’s wars and conflicts. And 10 years from now, NATO, of which we will be members, could be completely different," he said.
According to Kerstin Bergeo, chairwoman of the anti-war organization Svenska Freds, what the world needs is not an expansion of NATO, but more diplomatic efforts.
"We are seeing increasing tensions and increased militarization in the world. This is a world that needs the opposite," she said. "We want to see investment in diplomacy, in prevention, in eliminating the causes of conflicts, so that wars don't happen."
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said, as he submitted NATO accession documents in Washington, that by becoming a member of the alliance, the kingdom leaves behind a period when it was free from military alliances, which spans more than 200 years.
"We are humble but also proud. We shall live up to all the expectations of the other NATO members," he said. "This is the beginning of something new. I look forward to making the world a safer place together with all NATO members."