Pål Jonson

Today, the Government, together with the Social Democratic Party, the Sweden Democrats, the Left Party, the Centre Party and the Green Party, presents an agreement to enable a historic expansion of Sweden’s defence to meet NATO’s new defence spending targets – expected to be 3.5 per cent of GDP – and that this expansion will be achieved rapidly through temporary financing via loans. This is a historic show of strength. If NATO were to agree on an additional target of 1.5 per cent of GDP for broader defence and security-related investments, the parties are in agreement that Sweden should also meet that target.

The Government has adopted a new strategy for Sweden’s defence industry with the aim of creating an innovative and competitive defence sector with a high production capacity.

At the meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels on 5 June, member countries’ defence ministers agreed on new capability targets for the Alliance. In conjunction with the meeting, Swedish Minister for Defence Pål Jonson also signed a number of agreements on behalf of Sweden.

The Government has instructed the Swedish Armed Forces to contribute SEK 550 million to NATO’s support to Ukraine.

On 4 June, Sweden’s Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will travel to Brussels to take part in a meeting held within the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG). Mr Jonson will take part in the meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence the day after, also held in Brussels.

On 2–3 June, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will travel to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates for bilateral meetings.

On 30 May–1 June, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will travel to Singapore to take part in the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual intergovernmental security conference.

On 22 May, the Government instructed the Swedish Armed Forces to provide economic donations to multilateral funds and initiatives aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s defence capability. These donations total approximately SEK 4.8 billion.

On 20 May, EU defence ministers will meet in Brussels within the framework of the EU Foreign Affairs Council. The meeting will focus on continued EU support to Ukraine and strengthening EU defence readiness and preparedness. Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will represent Sweden at the meeting.

On Friday 23 May, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will meet with Luxembourg’s Minister of Defence Yuriko Backes at Karlberg Palace for bilateral discussions. Photojournalists are welcome to attend the formal ceremony and the beginning of the bilateral discussions.

On 6–7 May, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will travel to Rovaniemi in northern Finland to take part in the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO) defence ministers meeting.

Iceland’s President Halla Tómasdóttir is paying a State Visit to Sweden at the invitation of His Majesty the King. The President is accompanied by her spouse Björn Skúlason, Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir and Minister for Health Alma Möller, together with a delegation from the business sector.

On Tuesday 22 April, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson hosted a bilateral meeting with Lithuania’s Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas at Sager House. The meeting was followed by a joint press conference at Rosenbad.

The Government has decided to contribute staff officers from the Swedish Armed Forces to Operation Highmast, a British-led multinational Carrier Strike Group deployment that will operate in the Indo-Pacific region to uphold regional security.

Sweden is investing billions in the procurement of four new tactical transport aircraft. Together with the Netherlands and Austria, Sweden is purchasing C-390 aircraft from Brazilian manufacturer Embraer. As Sweden is joining an existing contract, delivery times will be shortened.

The Swedish Government has presented its largest military support package to Ukraine to date, valued at almost SEK 16 billion. Ukraine has requested capabilities related to air defence, artillery, satellite communication, and naval capabilities. Together with the support package announced earlier this year, Swedish support to Ukraine amounts to approximately SEK 29.5 billion in 2025. Sweden’s military support since 2022 thus totals about SEK 80 billion.

On 1–3 April, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will visit Poland. On 1 April, Mr Jonson will participate in a formal ceremony for the Swedish contribution to Air Policing. On 2 April, Mr Jonson will take part in a high-level conference on the White Paper on the future of European defence, and on 2–3 April, Mr Jonson will represent Sweden at the informal meeting of EU defence ministers.

The Government has tasked the Swedish Armed Forces with making disbursements to the capability coalitions in the demining and drone areas within the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) framework. This SEK 80 million in support is part of the 18th military support package to Ukraine.

On Wednesday 26 March, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will travel to Paris for bilateral talks with France’s Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu.

On Tuesday 25 March, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will travel to London for bilateral talks with the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Defence John Healey.