For the first time as a member of NATO, Sweden is participating in a military exercise, and members of its armed forces told Newsmax they were glad finally to be a part of the Western military alliance.
On Thursday, Sweden became the 32nd member of NATO, two years after it applied following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The once-neutral nation is participating in Nordic Response, a training exercise involving more than 20,000 soldiers from 14 countries, including the U.S., which began Monday in the Arctic extremes of Norway, Finland, and Sweden and runs through March 14.
"Sweden joined NATO this week, and it's really good," a member of Sweden's armed forces told Shelby Wilder in an exclusive Newsmax report Friday from Alta, Norway, north of the Arctic Circle. "We've done many NATO exercises before, but now we are a real member and it feels really good."
Wilder reported that Nordic Response is a crucial part of one of NATO's most extensive military drills since the Cold War.
"These exercises are happening in close proximity to the Russian border," Wilder reported. "As NATO demonstrates a united front, it's sending a clear message to the Kremlin, which is taking note."
The Barents Observer, a Norwegian media outlet, reported Wednesday that Russia will be monitoring the exercises and that Aleksandr Grushko, its deputy defense minister, called the exercises "demonstrative and provocative."
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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