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NATO

Sweden to send first Nato troops abroad since joining military alliance

If parliament greenlights the mission, Sweden will next year contribute Nato troops to Latvian defence, said Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

Published: 25 April 2024 15:08 CEST
Sweden to send first Nato troops abroad since joining military alliance
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. Photo: Anders Wiklund/TT

The Swedish troop contribution was the first to be announced since the Scandinavian country joined Nato in March.

Kristersson had in January announced that Sweden would likely send a battalion to take part in Nato’s permanent multinational mission in Latvia, dubbed the Enhanced Forward Presence, aimed at boosting defence capacity in the region.

“The government this morning gave Sweden’s armed forces the formal task of planning and preparing for the Swedish contribution of a reduced mechanised battalion to Nato’s forward land forces in Latvia,” Kristersson told reporters during a press conference with his Latvian counterpart Evika Silina.

He said the battalion, which will be in Latvia for six months, would be comprised of around 400 to 500 troops.

“Our aim is a force contribution, including CV 90s armoured vehicles and Leopard 2 main battle tanks.”

“We’re planning for the deployment early next year after a parliament decision,” he said.

Sending troops abroad requires the approval of parliament, and Kristersson said the government would put it to a vote.

Member comments

  1. Swedish troops were together with NATO troops in Afghanistan, so I don’t really know about “first”.

  2. And when the first body bags come home the reality of joining the US Industrial war complex will hit home and you’ll realise what joining NATO really means.Spend your money on better things for Sweden, Health, Education, Infrastructure etc instead of fighting a proxy war for the US.

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SWEDEN AND GERMANY

What’s on the agenda for German chancellor’s visit to Sweden?

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in Sweden to discuss security and business competitiveness with his Nordic colleagues on a two-day visit.

Published: 13 May 2024 14:25 CEST
What's on the agenda for German chancellor's visit to Sweden?

Scholz was to visit the Stockholm headquarters of telecommunications giant Ericsson on Monday, accompanied by the prime ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

They were to “discuss security policy issues such as hybrid threats, civil preparedness and new technologies,” the Swedish government said in a statement.

A press conference was to follow just before 6pm.

“At a dinner that evening, discussions will centre on continued support to Ukraine,” the government said, as Russian troops launched a major ground operation against Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region amid Kyiv’s struggles with Western aid delays.

The Nordic countries and Germany have been among Ukraine’s biggest donors since Russia’s February 2022 invasion.

Berlin is the world’s second biggest donor to Ukraine, giving 14.5 billion euros so far, according to the Kiel Institute.

“Security policy and the upcoming Nato summit will top the agenda,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote in a piece published in financial daily Dagens Industri on Monday.

“Financial competitiveness issues” will also be discussed, he said, noting that “the Nordic region wants to play a key role in efforts to strengthen the European economy”.

On Tuesday, Kristersson and Scholz were scheduled to hold bilateral talks and visit the Norrsken Foundation, which supports young growth companies active in the green and digital transition.

Afterwards the two leaders were to sign a “strategic innovation partnership” between Germany and Sweden.

The visit was to be their first bilateral meeting since Sweden joined Nato in March 2024.

The next Nato summit will take place July 9th-11th in Washington.

“Sweden has, and must have, a clear international voice in the world,” Kristersson wrote in Dagens Industri.

The Scandinavian country has enjoyed decades of strong cooperation with Nordic and Baltic countries, and with intensified collaboration “with two other Baltic Sea countries, Poland and Germany, our region will be safer and stronger”, he said.

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