Sweden's security needs best served by NATO membership, PM says

Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson arrives at Lancaster House, for the Joint Expeditionary Force leaders meeting, a coalition of 10 states focused on security in northern Europe, in London, Britain March 15, 2022
Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson arrives at Lancaster House, for the Joint Expeditionary Force leaders meeting, a coalition of 10 states focused on security in northern Europe, in London, Britain March 15, 2022. Justin Tallis/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

STOCKHOLM, May 15 (Reuters) - Sweden's security needs are best served by NATO membership, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Sunday, after her party abandoned decades of opposition to joining the U.S.-led alliance in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"The best thing for the security of Sweden and the Swedish people is to join NATO," Andersson told a news conference.

"We believe Sweden needs the formal security guarantees that come with membership in NATO."

Reporting by Johan Ahlander, Simon Johnson and Niklas Pollard

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