Sweden takes its rightful place by joining NATO, the alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said today at a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels.

Sweden's flag will be raised outside the alliance's headquarters later today, after the country completed the accession process last week and became the military alliance's 32nd country.

Today is a truly historic day, Stoltenberg pointed out.

After more than 200 years of neutrality, Sweden became part of NATO.

There is no plan to increase the number of NATO countries with nuclear weapons, nor to deploy battalions in Sweden, he added in response to a question.

When Russian President Vladimir PutinVladimir Putin - Russian politician.

Born on October 7, 1952 in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg. Prez started the war in Ukraine two years ago, he wanted less NATO and more control over neighbors, to destroy Ukraine as a sovereign state, but he failed, Stoltenberg summarized.

Ukraine is closer to joining the pact than ever before.

Putin started the war and can end it today.

Ukraine does not have this opportunity, to surrender does not mean to achieve peace, he added.

We need to show Putin that he will not get what he wants on the battlefield.

He must sit down at the negotiating table to find a solution in which Ukraine remains a sovereign nation, Stoltenberg insisted.

Russia has no say in what path European countries choose, he added.

Sweden is now officially a member of NATO

Kristershon pointed out that Russia will remain a threat to Europe's security and progress for the foreseeable future.

Sweden already meets the defense spending requirement of two percent of GDP, he noted.

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Vladimir Putin

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