Editing Foreign relations of Sweden (section)

==Nonalignment==
{{main|Sweden–NATO relations|Swedish neutrality}}
[[File:Swedish PM Stefan Löfven meeting Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei 01.jpg|thumb|Swedish Prime Minister [[Stefan Löfven]] with Iranian Supreme Leader [[Ali Khamenei]], February 11, 2017]]
[[Swedish neutrality]] and nonalignment policy in peacetime may partly explain how the country could stay out of wars since 1814. Swedish governments have not defined nonalignment as precluding outspoken positions in international affairs. Government leaders have favored national liberation movements that enjoy broad support among developing world countries, with notable attention to Africa. During the [[Cold War]], Sweden was suspicious of the superpowers, which it saw as making decisions affecting small countries without always consulting those countries. With the end of the Cold War, that suspicion has lessened somewhat, although Sweden still chooses to remain nonaligned. Sweden has devoted particular attention to issues of disarmament, arms control, and nuclear nonproliferation and has contributed importantly to UN and other international peacekeeping efforts, including the NATO-led peacekeeping forces in the Balkans. It sat as an observer in the [[Western European Union]] from 1995 to 2011, but it is not an active member of [[NATO]]'s [[Partnership for Peace]] and the [[Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council]].

Sweden's engagement with NATO was especially strengthened during the term of [[Anders Fogh Rasmussen]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nato.int/docu/review//2013/Partnerships-NATO-2013/Sweden-partnerships/EN/index.htm|title=Sweden: a special NATO partner?|author=NATO Review|work=NATO Review|access-date=February 20, 2015}}</ref>

Sweden's nonalignment policy has led it to serve as the [[protecting power]] for a number of nations who don't have formal diplomatic relations with each other for various reasons.  It currently represents the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations in North Korea for consular matters.  On several occasions when the United Kingdom broke off relations with Iran (including the 1979 [[Iranian Revolution]], the [[The Satanic Verses controversy|Salman Rushdie affair]], and the 2011 storming of the British embassy in Tehran), Sweden served as the protecting power for the UK.

In May 2022, Sweden formally applied to join the [[NATO]] alliance. The public opinion in the Nordic region had changed in favour of joining NATO since [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24 of the same year.]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Emmott |first1=Robin |last2=Devranoglu |first2=Nevzat |title=Finland, Sweden apply to join NATO amid Turkish objections |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/finland-sweden-submit-application-join-nato-2022-05-18/ |work=Reuters |date=18 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman [[Maria Zakharova]] said in March 2022 that her government would have to respond if Sweden became a NATO member.<ref name="eatrs">{{cite news |date=25 February 2022 |title=Russia Sends Bone-Chilling Message To Sweden & Finland; Threatens 'Military Implications' If They Go The Ukraine Way |publisher=The EurAsian Times |url=https://eurasiantimes.com/russia-sends-bone-chilling-message-to-sweden-threatens-with-military-implications-if-they-go-the-ukraine-way/}}</ref> However, in June 2022 President [[Vladimir Putin]] contradicted the statement, claiming that Sweden and Finland can "join whatever they want" on the condition that there will be no NATO military deployment in either country.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-29 |title=Putin issues fresh warning to Finland and Sweden on installing Nato infrastructure |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/29/russia-condemns-nato-invitation-finland-sweden |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref>