Sweden is discussing guarantees with the United Kingdom in its NATO application

Aftonbladet’s sources say that the United Kingdom and Sweden are discussing written guarantees regarding Sweden’s application for NATO membership.

This agreement is considered more important in terms of security.

Sweden also held high-level talks with the United States on security arrangements – but according to Aftonbladet, the United States did not want to comment before deciding to apply for membership.

NATOThis question currently dominates Swedish politics and talks about potential membership are ongoing in various forums.

Yesterday, representatives of the parliamentary parties in the analysis committee headed by Foreign Minister Ann Linde (S) met. According to Aftonbladet, a new meeting will already be held on Monday the 25th.

– A source says that this is a very close conversation now.

Government ministers holding the issue at the table – the Prime Minister Magdalena AndersonForeign Minister Ann Linde and Defense Minister Peter Hultquist – recently met with several NATO representatives, which Aftonbladet wrote last week.

“Sweden can enhance NATO capabilities”

The purpose is to examine how countries respond to potential Swedish applications that need to be approved by each member state. According to sources in Aftonbladet, countries have expressed their support and welcome for Swedish entry. Sweden is seen as a country that could significantly increase NATO’s operational capacity in northern Europe.

Another objective is to ensure that Sweden receives some form of protection when a potential NATO application is processed. Although NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has made it clear that an application will be considered urgently, there is no exact timetable. There is sometimes talk of a one-year to one-year application period for the country wishing to join the Security Alliance. Yesterday, Defense Minister Peter Hulkvist said that there was a “complete list” of actions that Russia would take if Sweden applied for membership in NATO.

– Cyber ​​threats, hybrid threats, sabotage, undermining our state system, all kinds of imaginable attacks. I do not know what they want to do or not do, but Europe is living in a threatening situation and everything has changed fundamentally. That’s it, said Hultquist.

Written security insurance

According to Aftonbladet, the Swedish government has been in talks with both the United States and the United Kingdom over security guarantees. Talks have taken place at various levels as ministers and ambassadors and it is planned to hold more ministerial meetings in the future.

The government is in talks with the United Kingdom to obtain written guarantees for Sweden’s submission of the NATO application.

– The United Kingdom is one of the largest NATO countries and has the capability to prevent it. There is already far-sighted cooperation between Sweden and the UK, says a source with insight.

However, an Aftonbladet source said that the United States did not want to give any guarantees before it became clear whether a country should apply or not.

Decisions can be made before May 24

At the same time, the Social Democrats’ internal debate on the NATO issue is ongoing. Throughout Friday, the leadership of the Social Democrats sat in a marathon meeting, where Aftonbladet first reported yesterday that the NATO issue had been discussed. Magdalena Anderson, Ann Linde and Peter Hultquist discussed the security situation.

After that the ministers did not want to comment on the content of the meeting.

– We have had a good discussion in the party, we have turned and returned to the issue of the new security policy situation, Magdalena Anderson told Aftonbladet.

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

It is up to the party committee to decide whether or not to turn the NATO or change the security policy as Patin calls it. It has a scheduled meeting on May 24, but according to Baudin, a decision could be made earlier.