Sweden’s total defence in focus when Prime Minister received NATO Secretary General

“My message to Secretary General Mark Rutte was that Sweden is taking its responsibility as a NATO Ally seriously and with a strong sense of solidarity. Sweden is in the process of undertaking the most significant upgrade of its total defence since the Cold War. We anticipate that we will reach NATO’s 5 per cent target as early as 2030,” says Mr Kristersson.

The visit took place in connection with the meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Helsingborg 21–22 May. It began with a tour of the Swedish Coast Guard’s offshore patrol vessel Amfitrite for Mr Kristersson and Mr Rutte. Aboard the vessel, they were briefed by the Coast Guard on some of the measures taken in response to Russian oil transports in the Baltic Sea. They also discussed the need for Europe and Canada to assume a greater share of the responsibility for defending Europe. Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson and Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin also took part in the visit.

Mr Kristersson and Mr Rutte also visited the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency training centre in Revinge. There, civilian and conscripted service personnel, government agencies and contractors demonstrated some of Sweden’s total defence capabilities. Mr Kristersson and Mr Rutte were given a demonstration of Sweden’s capabilities to respond to airborne threats in an exercise that illustrated civilian-military cooperation, and saw examples of public-private collaboration in total defence. Mr Jonson and Mr Bohlin also took part in the visit to Revinge.

In connection with the visit, Mr Kristersson and Mr Rutte held a joint press briefing in Revinge.