The UK has agreed on mutual security pacts with Sweden and Finland, agreeing to come to their aid should either nation come under attack. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited both countries to sign the deals, amid debate about them joining NATO.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday inked defence deals with Sweden and Finland that would see the UK send aid, including military support, in the event of an attack. The agreement comes as Sweden and Finland are set to decide whether to join NATO. However, Johnson did not specify whether the UK would send troops in the event of an attack.
The agreements will "fortify northern Europe's defences, in the face of renewed threats,'' Johnson said in a statement, adding that they are symbols "of the everlasting assurance between our nations.''
For decades, the two Nordic countries have pursued a lower-level defence agreements policy rather than joining NATO. Both remained neutral during the Cold War. Both countries started to negotiate a strategic change in their defence policy since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Stockholm and Helsinki discuss joining NATO for its Article 5, which specifies that an assault on one member state is considered an attack on all.
