United States calls for Swedish Nato entry 'before summer’
The United States will work to ensure Sweden becomes a Nato member by the summer, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in Stockholm on Wednesday.
Austin commented on Sweden’s ongoing attempts to join Nato during a visit to the Muskö naval base south of Stockholm, where he was received by Swedish counterpart Pål Jonsson.
Sweden has the “full and firm support of the United States” in its bid for Nato membership, he said.
“We look forward to soon welcoming Sweden” as a Nato member following Finland’s recent entry into the alliance, Austin said at a press briefing.
“We encourage our allies Türkiye and Hungary to ratify Sweden’s succession as soon as possible,” he said.
The US Secretary of Defense stressed that he hoped Sweden’s accession to Nato would be completed prior to a Nato summit scheduled to take place in Vilnius, Lithuania on July 11th-12th.
“The partnership between our two democracies continues to flourish” amid Swedish assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion, he also said.
Austin meanwhile praised Sweden’s military during the briefing, calling it “exceptionally capable and highly professional”, stating that American and Swedish forces have conducted joint exercises, thus improving their ability to operate together.
Austin was shown submarines, corvette warships and air combat forces during the visit to the Muskö base.
During the visit, talks were expected to take place about the two countries’ bilateral defence cooperation, as well as on security assurances that Sweden has received from the United States and on support for Ukraine.
Negotiations between Sweden and the United States relating to extending the US-Sweden Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) were also set to continue. The agreement is intended to enable faster and more efficient American support in the event of crisis and war through measures including advance storage of military hardware and investments in infrastructure.
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Austin commented on Sweden’s ongoing attempts to join Nato during a visit to the Muskö naval base south of Stockholm, where he was received by Swedish counterpart Pål Jonsson.
Sweden has the “full and firm support of the United States” in its bid for Nato membership, he said.
“We look forward to soon welcoming Sweden” as a Nato member following Finland’s recent entry into the alliance, Austin said at a press briefing.
“We encourage our allies Türkiye and Hungary to ratify Sweden’s succession as soon as possible,” he said.
The US Secretary of Defense stressed that he hoped Sweden’s accession to Nato would be completed prior to a Nato summit scheduled to take place in Vilnius, Lithuania on July 11th-12th.
“The partnership between our two democracies continues to flourish” amid Swedish assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion, he also said.
Austin meanwhile praised Sweden’s military during the briefing, calling it “exceptionally capable and highly professional”, stating that American and Swedish forces have conducted joint exercises, thus improving their ability to operate together.
Austin was shown submarines, corvette warships and air combat forces during the visit to the Muskö base.
During the visit, talks were expected to take place about the two countries’ bilateral defence cooperation, as well as on security assurances that Sweden has received from the United States and on support for Ukraine.
Negotiations between Sweden and the United States relating to extending the US-Sweden Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) were also set to continue. The agreement is intended to enable faster and more efficient American support in the event of crisis and war through measures including advance storage of military hardware and investments in infrastructure.
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