A poll released on Friday found that a majority of Swedes support NATO membership, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparking a quick shift in sentiments in a country long regarded for neutrality.
Sweden has not been at war since 1814, and its foreign policy is based on ‘non-participation in armed alliances.’ Throughout World War II and the Cold War, it stayed neutral, even when neighbouring Nordic nations were invaded.
According to a Demoskop poll commissioned by the Aftonbladet daily, 51 percent of Swedes now support NATO, up from 42 percent in January. People opposed to joining dropped from 37 percent to 27 percent. This is the first time such a poll has revealed a majority in favour.
The trend is mirrored in Finland, a key friend and NATO non-member, where the chairman of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs called Russia’s war on Ukraine as a wake-up call and ‘Europe’s 9/11 for Finns.’
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