Carl-Oskar Bohlin

On 20–21 May, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson received NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The meeting focused on Sweden’s total defence, civil defence and resilience.

On Thursday 21 May, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will receive NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for a bilateral meeting and joint visit focused on Sweden’s total defence, civil defence and resilience. In conjunction with the meeting, they will hold a joint press briefing in Revinge, Skåne.

Sweden has signed a memorandum of understanding on protecting the civilian population of the Baltic Sea region and the Nordic countries, together with Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Poland. This enables the temporary movement of people across borders in the event of crisis or, in the worst-case scenario, war.

Cyber attacks are one of the tactics used by Russia in its war against Ukraine. Sweden and Ukraine have now reached an agreement aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s resilience to cyber attacks, which also enhances Sweden’s capability to cope with sophisticated cyber threats.

The Government envisions a resilient Sweden with a high level of cybersecurity, where essential public services can be maintained even when severe cybersecurity incidents occur. The National Cybersecurity Strategy is based on three pillars that set out the direction of Sweden’s cybersecurity efforts.

Their Majesties The King and Queen will pay a State Visit to Poland on 10–12 March 2026 at the invitation of President Karol Nawrocki.

Speech by Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin, delivered at the Folk och Försvar Annual National Conference in Sälen on 11 January 2026. Check against delivery.

The Government has decided that the Swedish Armed Forces will expand its air defence capability. The Swedish Armed Forces will produce, train and equip a number of units within a future ground-based air defence that will protect combat units, military defence mobilisation capacity, population centres and civilian infrastructure. The total investment is worth approximately SEK 15 billion.

In a rapidly evolving security landscape marked by hybrid threats and geopolitical instability, civil preparedness and societal resilience have become strategic priorities for Europe. To strengthen cooperation and ensure preparedness for all security threats, including armed aggression, ministers responsible for civil preparedness and resilience from several EU member states convened for the second meeting of the European Coalition for Civil Preparedness and Resilience.

On 4 November, Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin and Minister for Defence Pål Jonson participated in a NATO conference on civilian planning, which Sweden hosted in Stockholm on 3–5 November. Sweden’s work with total defence was presented on several occasions at the conference, and contributed to discussions on improving civilian planning within NATO.

(New version) On 12–13 November, Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin will be in Finland to meet with his Nordic counterparts in the Haga cooperation. The focus will be Nordic preparedness and expanded cooperation.

On 3–5 November, Sweden will host a NATO conference in Stockholm on civilian planning. At the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague in June, NATO adopted a guidance to strengthen and develop Allies’ civilian planning efforts in support of the Alliance’s defence plans.

In early 2026, Sweden will host an international high-level conference on the future of civil defence. The conference will be held in Stockholm and organised together with the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

On 20–22 October, Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin will visit Tokyo, Japan. He will hold bilateral meetings to learn from Tokyo’s experience of preparing for and managing major crises such as earthquakes, and take part in a conference on international support for mine action projects in Ukraine.

On Monday 13 October, Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin met with Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs Mihai Popșoi for a bilateral meeting in Stockholm.

On 1–2 October, Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin will observe the Rescue Borealis international rescue exercise 2025 taking place in Oulu, Finland. The exercise was initiated against the backdrop of the worsening security situation and is aimed at enhancing cross-border cooperation in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) emergencies.

(New version) Security in Sweden’s neighbourhood has deteriorated dramatically in recent years. The Government is therefore carrying out the most sweeping modernisation of Sweden’s total defence since the end of the Cold War. In the Budget Bill for 2026, the Tidö Parties propose a new package for stronger civil defence. Funding will go towards better stockpiling of health care products, renovating Sweden’s protective shelters, building up new food contingency reserves and improving preparedness efforts of Sweden’s municipalities and regions. The Government proposes allocating SEK 3 billion to civil defence in 2026, SEK 4.2 billion in 2027 and SEK 4.6 billion in 2028. These proposals total approximately SEK 12 billion in 2026–2028.

Opinion piece by Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa, and Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin. Published in Svenska Dagbladet, 14 August 2025.

The Government has mandated the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency to establish a rehabilitation centre for injured soldiers in Ukraine. Sweden has supported these efforts since 2024 and with this decision will assume greater responsibility.

On May 16, Sweden signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerning the protection of critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. The MoU was concluded with the Baltic Sea countries within the EU, along with Norway, Iceland and the EU.