Even before formally joining the international defence alliance, Sweden has stated that it would allow NATO to station soldiers on its soil. The Swedish Military Forces will get ready for upcoming joint operations with the alliance, according to Friday’s statements from Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Defense Minister Pal Jonson. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ongoing aggressive activities, which Sweden worries endanger its own borders, prompted the action.
Sweden applied to join NATO last year, but Turkey and Hungary’s opposition has slowed the process down. Sweden now intends to join NATO at a conference in Lithuania the following month.
The Swedish Military Forces will make preparations that include temporarily stationing foreign personnel and equipment on Swedish soil. Lawmakers anticipate that Sweden’s defence policy will be strengthened, and a clear message to Russia will be sent by completing this choice. In an opinion piece that appeared in the Dagens Nyheter news service, Kristersson and Johnson stated that “Russia will for the foreseeable future remain a threat against surrounding countries” and that it was uncertain how far President Vladimir Putin’s territorial aspirations would go.
