Today, I am honored to welcome Sweden as NATO's 32nd Ally.
75 years ago-when the United States and 11 other nations came together to establish the North Atlantic Treaty Organization-President Truman said the Alliance, "would create a shield against aggression and fear of aggression." Today, that shield-and transatlantic security-is stronger than ever with the formal addition of Sweden to NATO.
When Putin launched his brutal war of aggression against the people of Ukraine, he thought he could weaken Europe and divide NATO. Instead, in May 2022, Sweden and Finland-two of our close partners, with two highly capable militaries-made the historic decision to apply for full NATO membership. Alliance members ratified Finland's membership last year ahead of our historic summit in Vilnius. And, with the addition of Sweden today, NATO stands more united, determined, and dynamic than ever-now 32 nations strong.
Today, we once more reaffirm that our shared democratic values-and our willingness to stand up for them-is what makes NATO the greatest military alliance in the history of the world. It is what draws nations to our cause. It is what underpins our unity. And together with our newest Ally Sweden-NATO will continue to stand for freedom and democracy for generations to come. I look forward to hosting all 32 Allies for the 75th Anniversary NATO Summit this summer in Washington D.C.
