At the NATO summit in Madrid, an agreement has been reached on Sweden’s and Finland’s accession to NATO, and Latvia has reached an agreement with Canada to strengthen and develop NATO’s strengthened Forward Presence Battle Group Latvia by expanding it to the size of a brigade – likely to double its current force of about 1,800 soldiers.

Asked what role Sweden and Finland could play in the multinational brigade that will be formed in Latvia, the Minister of Defense said that before the NATO summit he approached Sweden and partly also Finland, and counted on the alliance’s agreement on the two countries’ NATO membership.

“We are in negotiations with Sweden not only about the creation of the brigade but also about cooperation on the strategic plan. The current management of the Ministry of Defense in Stockholm is very kind to us. If Sweden will be part of this brigade, I do not know, but we has at least got a much-needed ally, said Pabriks.

Both Sweden and Finland, together with Latvia and other northern European countries, are already involved in the British-led Joint Expeditionary Force.

Finland and Sweden had long been reserved against joining NATO, but the war that Russia unleashed on Ukraine has led the two countries to apply to join the alliance. They are likely to become full members soon.

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