The United Kingdom has pledged to defend Sweden if the country came under attack, with Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Magdalena Andersson signing a security assurance deal outside Stockholm.
The accord was signed on Wednesday as Sweden and Finland are pondering whether to join NATO following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
Andersson said Russia would increase its “military presence in this region if Sweden and/or Finland sends in an application”.
Should they apply, there will be an interim period lasting from when an application has been handed in until all 30 NATO members’ parliaments have ratified it.
Johnson is later expected to make a similar defence commitment to Finland, where he will meet President Sauli Niinisto.
The agreement will “fortify Northern Europe’s defences, in the face of renewed threats”, Johnson said in a statement, adding it “is a symbol of the everlasting assurance between our nations”.
“These are not a short-term stop-gap, but a long-term commitment to bolster military ties and global stability, and fortify Europe’s defences for generations to come,” Johnson said in the statement.
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