The Swedish government has presented a bill proposing that the country makes an armed force available to NATO to address potential threats in the North Atlantic.
Pending approval from the Swedish parliament, the bill outlines Stockholm’s contribution of ground troops, marine units, naval vessels, and combat aircraft to the alliance.
“This is a historic decision. For the first time as an ally, we will contribute an armed force to NATO’s collective defense,” said Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard.
The Swedish assets will support NATO forces in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, where Sweden shares a maritime border with Russia.
“NATO is the ultimate guarantor of European and transatlantic security,” said Minister of Defense Pål Jonson.
“The bill that the government is now presenting to the Riksdag will enable Sweden to contribute to NATO’s deterrence in a credible and reliable way, in the spirit of solidarity,” he added.
Boosting Defense Efforts
After the Russia-Ukraine conflict erupted in 2022, Sweden became the last country to join NATO in March.
Sweden’s decision to boost its defense efforts aims to create a deterrence mechanism to prevent possible Russian threats.
In April, Stockholm announced a plan for deploying a battalion of 600 soldiers to Latvia, including CV90 armored vehicles and Leopard 2 main battle tanks, to be implemented in 2025.
Since joining NATO, the Scandinavian country has significantly increased its military spending.
While the proposed budget for 2025 is 135 billion Swedish kronor ($13 billion), or 2.4 percent of GDP, it could reach 185 billion Swedish kronor ($17 billion) by 2030, corresponding to 2.6 percent of GDP.
