Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ann Linde, presented a new Statement of Foreign Policy in the Riksdag on June 10. The new statement includes two radical changes application to NATO, and a new and stricter Terrorist Offences Act enters into force on July 1, and the Government is preparing further tightening of terrorist legislation as a response to Turkiye’s requests.
According to the statement made by the Presidency’s Director of Communications, the request of Sweden and Finland to join NATO was discussed during the meeting.
Sweden and Finland said that the Nordic countries would continue to talk with Turkiye about Ankara’s objections to their NATO membership bids.
Turkish authorities leaked their wish list to the public for the lifting of Finland and Sweden’s veto on NATO membership.
Finland and Sweden formally applied to join NATO on Wednesday at allied headquarters, motivated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and kicking off a process expected to take only a few weeks.
Following the Finnish government’s decision to apply for NATO Membership, the Swedish government has followed the same route.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that Turkiye is not favouring two Baltic countries’ membership in NATO.
The UK has agreed to mutual security pacts with Sweden and Finland, agreeing to come to their aid should either nation be attacked.
The first parliamentary debate on the candidacy revealed a majority in favour and a minority against.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to prevent the country’s NATO membership may have triggered a new political process.
According to Swedish Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist, Sweden's admission to NATO would entail a significant shift in the security line, affecting the safety of the country's immediate vicinity. Minister Hultqvist stated that his country would not join NATO as long as he is in charge of defence. He has also speculated that sending NATO soldiers to Ukraine may push Europe into World War III. "Sending soldiers to Ukraine by NATO or the West would be tantamount to inciting a world war, which no one wants," he explained.
After nearly six months of continuing resolutions, Congressional appropriators finally reached an agreement. A bipartisan agreement among Congressional appropriators has brought the United States closer to passing a fiscal 2022 budget that includes $782 billion for national defence and an additional $13.6 billion in aid to Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Zelensky said he is no longer pressing for NATO membership as the alliance was worried about a confrontation with Russia.
The Commission on the Defence Forces (CoDF), after 13 months of work, has published its report on the future of the Defence Forces. “The Air Corps and Naval Service should become services, on a par with the Army, contributing to a joint strategic command at Defence Forces Headquarters and Joint Force Command. Given the importance of service parity, the names of both should change to Air Force and the Navy respectively,” the CoDF report reads.
