Sweden knights former US Ambassador Jeff Flake for key role securing NATO membership

“Nescit occasum. It means, ‘It knows no decline,’” said His Excellency Urban Ahlin, the Ambassador of Sweden to the United States, as he knighted former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Jeff Flake in an intimate ceremony at the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, D.C.

Ambassador Flake, whose great-grandparents were of Swedish descent, was awarded the Royal Order of the Polar Star, adorned with merit, with the Latin motto spoken by Ambassador Ahlin enameled in the center of the badge.

His Majesty the King of Sweden honored Ambassador Flake for his significant efforts supporting Sweden’s accession to the NATO alliance.

Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, NATO’s expansion requires unanimous approval from all member states. While the Turkish Parliament swiftly voted in favor of Finland’s membership in April 2023, the Turkish government was more hesitant about Sweden’s bid — and Turkey was the lone holdout among member states.

Ambassador Flake assured his Turkish counterparts that he would secure approval from top Congressional leaders, including Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), along with Reps. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), for the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara — one of Turkey’s key conditions that needed to be met before voting for Sweden’s membership.

“It was a huge team effort — the White House, the State Department, Capitol Hill, everybody involved and obviously our friends in the Swedish government,” Ambassador Flake said. “It took 18 months to make this happen.”

Former Ambassador Jeff Flake’s career has been defined by his commitment to international cooperation and diplomacy. Born in Arizona, he served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives before serving as a U.S. Senator from 2013 to 2019. In 2022, he was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, where he played a key role in strengthening U.S.-Turkey relations.

Now, Ambassador Flake is transitioning into a new chapter outside of the diplomatic community and taking on the role of director of the Institute of Politics at Arizona State University, which is set to launch this spring. Since 2020, Jeff was a distinguished dean fellow and professor at ASU.

Ambassador Flake joins an esteemed group of leaders recognized by His Majesty the King of Sweden for their dedication to peace, diplomacy, and international collaboration, including former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

“There are some things that you need to do if you want to reach an agreement with Turkey,” Ambassador Ahlin said. “And so, we are very thankful for that, that you spoke honestly to us at the work that you do.”