# Sweden Picks a Side: How NATO Membership Contributes to an Identity Crisis

- Link: https://instituteforglobalaffairs.org/2024/07/sweden-picks-a-side-how-nato-membership-contributes-to-an-identity-crisis/
- Published: 2024-07-09T18:35:46-04:00

While European officials descend on Washington to celebrate NATO’s 75th anniversary
this week, we flew to Sweden — a country that recently ditched two centuries of 
tradition to join the alliance. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted many Swedes
to rethink their opposition to NATO membership. But reservations persist.

We speak with ordinary Swedes about what they hope to gain — and fear they might
lose — as the pact’s newest member.