NATO chief says alliance will increase presence in Baltic sea if Sweden applies – SVT

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STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – NATO will increase it is presence round Sweden’s borders and in the Baltic sea whereas a possible utility to affix the alliance is processed, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg instructed Swedish public broadcaster SVT.

Sweden and neighbouring Finland have remained exterior the alliance however Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its invasion of Ukraine have led the nations to rethink their safety insurance policies, with NATO membership trying more and more possible.

Both nations are looking for army safety assurances throughout an utility course of, which may take as much as a yr to be accepted by all NATO’s members.

“I’m satisfied that we will discover options for the safety wants Sweden will have in a transitional interval,” Stoltenberg instructed SVT.

“From the potential second Sweden is making use of, and NATO says that they need Sweden to affix, there’s a very robust obligation from NATO to have the ability to assure Sweden’s safety,” Stoltenberg stated, and added that it will embody elevated presence round Sweden and in the Baltic sea.

Moscow has warned Sweden and Finland of “severe penalties” and that it may deploy nuclear weapons and hypersonic missiles in the European exclave of Kaliningrad if Sweden and Finland develop into NATO members.

On Wednesday, Sweden’s Foreign Minister Ann Linde stated the U.S. had given Sweden “safety assurances” for the applying interval, however “not concrete safety ensures.”

Sweden and Finland are anticipated to decide about whether or not to use to affix NATO this month.

(Reporting by Johan Ahlander; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)



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