Ulf Kristersson visits Olaf Scholz in Berlin

A short talk about the weather kicked off the Swedish Prime Minister’s visit to Berlin. When Ulf Christerson got out of the car outside the German Chancellor’s residence, Olaf Schultz took the opportunity to complain about the cold in the capital.

“No problem, spring is almost here,” said Ulf Christerson with a smile.

According to tradition, newly appointed prime ministers are greeted by a band of German armed forces. Ulf Kristersson and Olaf Scholz stood side by side in the wind and listened to Du gamla du fria before entering through the glass door into the chancellor’s office, where ox cheek with cheese was on the lunch menu.

Head of government You have a lot to discuss. At a press conference in Stockholm on Tuesday, Ulf Kristersson said Germany is a “very important country” for Sweden, the Swedish economy and for cooperation with the European Union.

Therefore, he said, it is very important to sit face to face with Olaf Schultz.

Today’s agenda includes, among other things, arms shipments to Ukraine and how the European Union can compete with the United States’ multibillion-dollar investment in green technology. The Swedish prime minister also wants to address the sudden swing of the German government on the issue of phasing out internal combustion engines from 2035, which is causing alarm in the European Union.

We thought we would actually be able to make those decisions during our presidency. It has become a bit more complicated and I will discuss this with the German government,” Ulf Kristersson said during Tuesday’s press conference.

He completed.

– Then we talk about NATO, of course.

The prime minister’s first visit to Olaf Schultz took place barely a year after Magdalena Andersson made the corresponding trip. At that time, at the end of March last year, the Social Democrats had not yet wavered on the issue of NATO.

Now Sweden has it It led to a historic shift in defense policy, which was blessed by 28 of the 30 NATO member states. But Sweden’s membership application has been blocked by Hungary and Turkey, and Ulf Kristersson said yesterday that “the possibility has increased” that Finland will join NATO before Sweden. And Reuters news agency reported on Wednesday that the Turkish government is ready to approve the Finnish request before May 14.

Germany was one of the first countries to ratify Sweden’s request, just two months after it was submitted. On Friday 8 July, all parties, except for the National Left Party Die Linke, accepted Swedish membership.

According to the Swedish Prime Minister, Germany pushed to complete the Swedish request.

– Ulf Kristersson said on Tuesday that Germany has also provided security guarantees to Sweden.

Read more: Olaf Scholz on Sweden’s defense: ‘We are serious about the defense clause’