We should definitely work with Sweden to increase their defenses as a useful rear area for defending the NATO Baltic states. Sweden has an interest in NATO holding that buffer zone. And we should definitely consider Sweden for NATO membership because Swedish territory in Russian hands is a threat to other nearby NATO states.
But not if Sweden sees membership as an alternative to being able to defend themselves:
Sweden’s aim is to hold out for three months, until help arrives. These twin tasks—becoming “indigestible to Russia”, as one analyst puts it, and ensuring that the cavalry shows up—will be high on the agenda of whichever government emerges from the hung parliament produced by the election of September 9th. Sweden may not be a member of NATO. But under Stefan Lofven, Sweden’s Social Democratic prime minister for the past four years, it has manoeuvred as close to the alliance as it is possible to get from the outside. By deferring the question of outright membership, anathema to the left, he created political space to tighten Sweden’s triple embrace of America, NATO and its neighbours. A landmark “host nation” agreement with NATO was steered through parliament in 2016. America’s potential wartime role in Sweden was once a state secret; now contingency plans can be made openly.
Sweden was once powerful enough to hold off the Soviets without outside help (assuming the Soviets wouldn't strip their western front during the Cold War to mass the power to take on Sweden).
And given the lack of Russian amphibious lift and the lack of a common border, Russia's threats to Swedish territory today are really limited to seizing small enclaves on the mainland or islands in the Baltic.
The idea that NATO would admit Sweden when all Sweden aims for is the ability to hold out for 3 months until help arrives is probably not best for NATO. Unless "holding out" means holding their territory under Russian assault rather than an insurgency, irregular warfare, and passive resistance by the public under Russian occupation. I suspect the former because I don't think the latter is really likely given Russian weaknesses.
Mind you, I think NATO should provide aid (logistics and intelligence) to Sweden if Russia attacks even if Sweden is not in NATO. But I want to see more progress in Swedish rearmament and the ability to hold Gotland Island before considering NATO membership for Sweden.
In related information, a press briefing on the forthcoming Trident Juncture 18 NATO exercise, which will include Sweden and Finland, in military maneuvers from Iceland to Finland and the air and sea space around them.
