A viral video shared on X purports to show the Swedish Army celebrating Sweden’s recent North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) accession.

Sweden is preparing to transition to NATO membership… pic.twitter.com/s8KMZrIWJk

— @amuse (@amuse) February 27, 2024

Verdict: False

The claim is false. The video, originally shared on YouTube in August 2023, shows the Swedish Army marching for LGBTQ+ rights.

Fact Check:

A 66-year-old man in Sweden has been charged “with unauthorized possession of secret information” after he allegedly mapped military installations, according to The Associated Press. Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said the man used an “almost professional” approach and mapped installations for “a large number of facilities that are important for Sweden’s ability to defend the country in the event of war,” the outlet reported.

“Sweden is preparing to transition to NATO membership…,” the X video’s caption reads. In the X video, viewed nearly 26,000 times, a large group of soldiers march down a street carrying rainbow LGBTQ+ Pride flags.

The claim is false, however. The video, originally shared on YouTube in August 2023, shows the Swedish Army marching for LGBTQ+ rights. “Swedish Army marched for LGBT rights,” a translation of the video’s caption reads.

Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports suggesting the viral X video shows the Swedish Army celebrating Sweden’s recent NATO accession. In fact, the opposite is true. Misbar also indicated the video was not linked to Sweden’s recent NATO accession in a Feb. 28 article.

Additionally, the claim neither appears on the Swedish Armed Forces’ website nor its verified social media accounts. (RELATED: Post Claims To Show Anti-Netanyahu Protests)

The Hungarian Parliament recently approved Sweden’s petition to join the NATO alliance, according to USA Today. Both Hungary and Turkey originally “opposed” Sweden’s admission to NATO in May 2022, the outlet reported. However, Turkey later changed its position and pledged to support Sweden joining in July 2023, The Associated Press indicated.

Check Your Fact has contacted the Swedish Armed Forces for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.