This Video Does Not Depict the Celebrations of the Swedish Army After Joining NATO
The Claim
Sweden is preparing to transition to NATO membership. Sweden joined NATO. Here’s their Army celebrating!
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Emerging story
Recently, accounts and pages on the social media platform X have circulated a video falsely claiming to be from the celebrations of the Swedish army following its recent accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the claim and found it to be misleading, as the video is old and not from recent celebrations of the Swedish army upon its recent accession to NATO.
The Swedish Army Joins an LGBTQ+ Support March
The video dates back to August 2023, capturing the participation of the Swedish Armed Forces in an annual LGBTQ+ support march held as part of EuroPride events, especially in the capital Stockholm and the city of Gothenburg. Several soldiers joined the march, carrying flags symbolizing LGBTQ+ pride.
In August 2023, the Swedish Armed Forces initiated a supportive campaign for LGBTQ+ rights, affirming that 'participation in Pride festivals is now more crucial than ever.' Moreover, the Swedish army has previously participated in other LGBTQ+ marches in recent years, with military leaders encouraging involvement in such occasions.
Sweden Joins NATO
The circulation of the claim followed the approval of Sweden's NATO membership by the Hungarian Parliament, concluding Hungary's voting process and resolving a period of debate and delay in completing Sweden's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
A total of 188 deputies in the Hungarian Parliament voted in favor of the decision, with only six opposing. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had previously announced that his country would agree to the decision.
The Hungarian Parliament's approval of Sweden's membership in the Western alliance comes nearly two years after Sweden, along with Finland, submitted the request to join following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
All NATO Allies Have Endorsed Sweden’s Membership
Earlier, Turkey agreed to Sweden's NATO membership after two years of strained Turkish-Swedish relations. However, Ankara reached understandings with Stockholm that resolved those disputes.
Currently, all existing NATO allies have endorsed Sweden's membership. A flag-raising ceremony is expected to take place at NATO headquarters in Brussels in the coming days, less than a year after Finland joined the alliance.
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