Pål Jonson

From 1 to 8 December, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson is visiting the United States to take part in the Reagan National Defense Forum, promote Swedish defence innovations and industry, and strengthen bilateral cooperation with the US.

Damage to cables and pipelines in the Baltic Sea has been discovered recently on multiple occasions. The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) will increase its presence to help improve protection of critical underwater infrastructure in the region. Sweden will provide two corvettes.

Today, the Defence Ministers of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) agreed to activate a JEF Response Option. This includes maritime and air capabilities which will deploy across the JEF’s core region as a military contribution to the protection of critical undersea infrastructure.

On November 23, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson invites the media to a press conference, following the meeting with defence ministers from the Nordic and Baltic countries at Karlberg Palace.

Updated version 23/10 16:30: It has been confirmed that an undersea telecommunications cable between Sweden and Estonia has been damaged by means of external force or tampering. Minister for Defence Pål Jonson and Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin held a press conference on Tuesday 17 October to provide an overview of the situation and describe what government agencies are doing in response. Chief of the Swedish Navy Ewa Skoog Haslum and Director General of the Swedish Coast Guard Lena Lindgren Schelin also took part in the press conference.

Yesterday evening, the Government received the alarming news that two Swedes were killed in a terrorist attack in Brussels. The attack appears to have been aimed at Sweden and Swedish interests. Our thoughts are with the deceased and their relatives.

The Government today adopted a proposal for an additional amending budget containing a new support package to Ukraine. The package, which is the fourteenth of its kind, includes artillery shells, spare parts, infantry equipment, communication equipment and Combat Vehicle 90 ammunition, worth around SEK 1.7 billion. The main part of the package regards ammunition and spare parts. In addition, the Government plans to adopt additional measures to supplement the direct materiel support, meaning that this support package will be worth a total of around SEK 2.2 billion. The Government also presented an assignment to the Swedish Armed Forces to analyse and report on the conditions for strengthening Ukraine through JAS 39 Gripen.

Sweden is currently facing the most serious security situation since the Second World War. This places new demands on military defence.

In the Budget Bill for 2024, the Government proposes additional funding to military defence amounting to approximately SEK 700 million. Taking into account upward adjustments and previous decisions, appropriations for military defence will increase by more than SEK 27 billion between 2023 and 2024 – an increase of 28 per cent. This means that appropriations have doubled since 2020 and that Sweden will already reach the defence expenditure target of two per cent of GDP according to NATO’s definition in 2024. In the Budget Bill, the Government also estimates additional funding for 2025 and 2026 amounting to approximately SEK 1.2 billion and SEK 7.4 billion, respectively.

The defence ministers of the EU Member States will gather for an informal meeting in Toledo, Spain on 29–30 August. The meeting will focus on EU military support to Ukraine.

(New version) The Government has provided basis for a new support package to Ukraine. The assistance includes ammunition and spare parts for several of the equipment systems that Sweden has donated to Ukraine, including Combat Vehicle 90 and Battle Tank 122 (Leopard 2). Sweden is also sending transport vehicles, contingency goods and mine clearance equipment. At the same time, the Government also need to obtain authorisation to sell the RB 99 (AMRAAM) air-to-air missiles to the United States, which will then donate them to Ukraine. The total value of this thirteenth support package amounts to approximately SEK 3.4 billion.

Twenty-three NATO Allies have officially become Limited Partners of the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), which is preparing to make its initial investments later this year. The Participating Allies have also welcomed Sweden’s interest to join the NIF. Sweden’s participation will take effect upon its accession to the North Atlantic Treaty.

On 12 July at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson signed a protective security agreement with Ukraine. The agreement makes it possible for Sweden and Ukraine to exchange confidential information concerning, for example, test flights of JAS Gripen or military equipment.

Finland’s new Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen visited Sweden on Thursday 6 July to meet with Minister for Defence Pål Jonson. The ministers discussed matters such as Sweden’s upcoming accession to NATO and Sweden’s and Finland’s continued support to Ukraine.

On Thursday 6 July, Finland’s Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen will visit Sweden to meet with Minister for Defence Pål Jonson. This will be Mr Häkkänen’s first visit abroad as Minister of Defence.

“Nordic defence cooperation is more important than ever,” say the Nordic defence ministers in a joint statement from a meeting in Iceland on 20–21 June within the framework of the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO). 

Singapore, 3rd of June, 2023 Check against delivery

The Government has adopted a new support package for Ukraine, which was presented at the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels on 15 June 2023. The package includes contributions to funds totalling SEK 230 million and instructions to the Swedish Armed Forces concerning JAS 39 Gripen and supply solutions for donated military equipment. The total value of this twelfth support package amounts to approximately SEK 250 million.

On Tuesday 23 May, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will take part in the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting with defence ministers in Brussels.

Tartu, Estonia 2 March 2023. Check against delivery.