Sweden in NATO

Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard has presented the Royal Order of the Polar Star to US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken.

(New version)Today, 3 December, Sweden and the United States have signed a statement of intent on enhanced cooperation between Swedish and US special forces. The contents of the statement are secret, but it will allow for enhanced operational and capability-developing cooperation between special forces.

On 3–4 December, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard will take part in the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Brussels, which will lay the groundwork ahead of the NATO Summit in The Hague in mid-2025. The agenda includes support to Ukraine and cooperation with countries in North Africa and the Middle East.

Yesterday, 21 November 2024, the Nordic Ministers of Defence met in Copenhagen to discuss how to further strengthen Nordic defence cooperation (NORDEFCO) and take stock of the progress made under the Danish Chairmanship in 2024.

On 20–21 November, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will take part in a meeting in Copenhagen with other defence ministers from the Nordic and Baltic countries.

On 27–28 November, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will receive heads of government from the Nordic and Baltic countries at a Summit at the Prime Minister's official summer home, Harpsund. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will also attend.

His Majesty The King has today decided on the recommendation of the Government Offices to present Royal Orders of Knighthood to ten foreign citizens.

On 17–18 October, Sweden’s Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will meet with his colleagues from other NATO member countries in Brussels. Part of the meeting will also be attended for the first time by the defence ministers of Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand – NATO’s partners known as the Indo-Pacific Four (IP4).

(New version) The Government has now presented a Total Defence Bill for the period 2025–2030. It includes substantial reinforcements of the total defence. Additional funding over SEK 170 billion will be allocated to the military defence and SEK 37.5 billion to the civil defence through 2030. These are historically large investments. Defence expenditures will therefore already reach 2.6 per cent of GDP in 2028.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday 16 October. Following the meeting, they will hold a joint press conference.

The Government today presented a government bill to the Riksdag with proposals on how Sweden will contribute to NATO’s overall deterrence and defence in the North Atlantic area in 2025.

On Friday 4 October, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson and Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard will receive Latvia’s Minister for Defence Andris Sprūds at the South Skåne Regiment (P 7) in Revingehed.

On 9–11 July, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson took part in the NATO Summit in Washington DC together with Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström and Minister for Defence Pål Jonson. The member states agreed on new support to Ukraine and measures to strengthen NATO’s capability for deterrence and defence. NATO also celebrated its 75th anniversary during the summit.

Sweden will enter a coalition together with eleven other countries, which, through joint procurement, will support Ukraine’s armed forces with unmanned aerial vehicles – drones. Systems training may also be included.

The Nordic countries are entering into a cooperation to promote access to Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden’s airspace for NATO’s air operations. On 9 July, a declaration of cooperation was signed by the countries’ defence ministers in connection with the NATO Summit in Washington DC.

On 9–11 July, NATO’s 32 member countries are gathering for the NATO Summit in Washington DC. Sweden is represented by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström and Minister for Defence Pål Jonson. The Summit is the first one Sweden is attending as a full member of the defence Alliance.

On 25 June, Mr Billström will travel to Warsaw for talks with Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson received NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday 7 June. The agenda included bilateral talks and a demonstration of the Swedish Armed Forces’ activities on naval vessel HSwMS Carlskrona. They also held a joint press conference.

On 13–14 June, Pål Jonson will take part in a meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence in Brussels for the first time since Sweden became a full member of NATO. The agenda includes discussions about NATO’s deterrence and defence capabilities and preparations ahead of the NATO Summit in Washington DC in July.

Speech by Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström’s during his visit to Texas 13–15 May 2024. Check against delivery.