Sweden finally sealed its membership of NATO on Thursday, expanding the Western defence alliance to 32 members in the wake of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson handed over Sweden’s instruments of accession to NATO to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, completing the final step of his country’s membership process. “With receipt of this instrument of accession let me be the very first to welcome Sweden as a party to the Washington Treaty and the 32nd member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,” Blinken said. A formal notice issued by the US State De…