Sweden discusses safeguards with the UK in its NATO request

The UK and Sweden are discussing written assurances regarding Sweden that might apply for NATO membership, according to Aftonbladet’s sources.

The agreement is very crucial in terms of security.

Sweden has also held high-level talks with the US about security arrangements – but according to Aftonbladet’s sources, the US doesn’t want to say anything before which country decides to apply for membership.

NATOThe question currently dominates Swedish politics and talk of possible membership continues in several different forums.

Yesterday, representatives of the parliamentary parties met in the Analysis Group led by Foreign Minister Anne Lind (S). A new meeting will already take place on Monday 25th, according to Aftonbladet information.

– It’s a much closer dialogue now, says one of the sources.

Cabinet ministers who have this issue on their table – the Prime Minister Magdalena AndersonForeign Secretary Anne Lind and Defense Minister Peter Holtqvist recently met with a number of representatives of NATO countries, something Aftonbladet wrote about last week.

Sweden can increase NATO capabilities

The purpose was to investigate how countries would respond to a potential Swedish request, which would need the approval of each member state. According to Aftonbladet’s sources, the countries have expressed themselves positively and are welcome to enter Sweden. Sweden is seen as a country that could significantly increase NATO’s operational capacity in Northern Europe.

Another purpose is to ensure that Sweden receives some form of protection while processing a potential NATO request. Although NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has made it clear that the request will be processed urgently, there is no set timetable. There is sometimes talk of a months-to-year introduction period for a country that wants to join the Defense Alliance. More recently, yesterday, Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist said there was a “complete list” of actions that Russia threatens to take if Sweden applies for NATO membership.

– Cyber ​​threats, hybrid threats, sabotage, undermining our state regulation, all different types of attacks imaginable. I don’t know what they intend to do or not do, but Europe is in a dangerous situation and everything has fundamentally changed. That’s it, Holtqvist said.

Written security insurance

According to Aftonbladet’s sources, the Swedish government has held talks with both the United States and the United Kingdom about security guarantees. Talks have taken place at various levels with ministers and ambassadors, and more ministerial meetings are scheduled to take place in the near future.

With the United Kingdom, the government is discussing obtaining written assurances regarding Sweden’s submission of a potential NATO request.

The United Kingdom is one of the largest countries in NATO and has the ability to deter. There is also already far-reaching cooperation between Sweden and the UK, says a source familiar with the matter.

However, the US does not want to provide any guarantees before it becomes clear whether or not the country should implement, according to the Aftonbladet informant.

Decisions can be made before May 24

At the same time, the internal discussions of the SPD on the NATO issue are still ongoing. And all day Friday, the SPD leadership sat in a marathon meeting, Aftonbladet was the first to report yesterday, at which the NATO issue was discussed. The party’s board of directors and the parliamentary group present, Magdalena Anderson, Anne Lind and Peter Hultqvist, held talks on the security situation.

The ministers did not respond to comment on the content of the meeting after that.

“We had a very good discussion in the party, and we were on the subject of the new security policy,” Magdalena Andersson told Aftonbladet.

Party Secretary Tobias Bodin later held a press conference in which he announced that the dialogue in the party across the country would continue until May 12, after which the Social Democrats would enter into the “decision-making process”.

The decision on whether or not S should turn around NATO, or change the line of security policy as Boudin calls it, is made by the party council. A meeting is scheduled for May 24, but according to Bowden, a decision may be made before then.