Sweden's ruling Social Democrats will decide on May 15 whether to overturn decades of opposition to NATO membership, the party said on Monday, a move that would almost certainly lead to Sweden asking to join the 30-nation alliance, APA reports citing Reuters.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked an urgent rethink of security policy in both Sweden and Finland. The Finnish president, Sauli Niinisto, is expected to announce his support for an application this week.
Niinisto's announcement on May 12 would trigger what is likely to be a hectic couple of weeks during which the map of northern Europe's security architecture could be redrawn.
"What the decision is going to be is not decided yet today," Social Democrat party secretary Tobias Baudin told Swedish public service radio SR. "Our message is that on May 15 there will be a decision for the party leadership to take a position on."
The Social Democrats - the biggest party in Sweden for the last 100 years - are holding three digital party meetings this week to canvas members' opinions on NATO membership ahead of the final decision by the leadership at the weekend.
Meanwhile, parliament is holding a parallel, all-party review of security policy which is due to report on May 13.
"I want to have that on the table before I decide," Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said in a debate on NATO on Swedish TV on Sunday.
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