Sweden, USA sign new military cooperation agreement – Reports
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – October 16, 2022) Sweden has signed a new military cooperation agreement with the United States to strengthen its borders, Swedish media reported on Sunday.
According to SVT, the new agreement will expand the possibilities for joint military operations and exercises for both countries, above all during the consideration of Sweden’s accession to NATO.
US Army Chief of Staff James McConville emphasized that in the current international situation, cooperation is of the utmost importance.
– The US Army will provide troops and support as directed by our leadership, McConville told SVT.
At the moment, the United States and Sweden cooperate closely in the military field, McConville said, adding that the United States is concerned about the situation in the Arctic and that the Swedish military are experts in this region.
Swedish Army Commander-in-Chief Karl Engelbrektson, in turn, said that a military alliance with the United States would be beneficial if a war were to break out in Europe.
On May 18, three months after Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine, Finland and Sweden submitted their applications for NATO membership, abandoning decades of neutrality. Finland and Sweden are now awaiting the ratification of their NATO applications. As of October 6, 28 countries out of 30 have already completed the formal procedure to welcome Finland and Sweden into the alliance. The applications have not yet been ratified by Turkey and Hungary.