The table of NATO leaders looked a bit more crowded this week when they convened in Washington for their annual summit. It now included a seat for Sweden, the alliance’s newest member, which decided to join after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine shattered the illusion that Europe could forever remain at peace. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] As the NATO summit wound down on July 11, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson sat down with TIME to discuss the future of the alliance, the threats from Russia, and what it means to join the world’s most powerful military club. The following transcript of the conversation has been edited for length and clarity by TIME. TIME: Before joining NATO, Sweden had a roughly 200-year tradition of neutrality and non-alignment.