BERLIN: NATO and EU states must prepare for a long-term conflict with Russia, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said. "We must...
BERLIN: NATO and EU states must prepare for a long-term conflict with Russia, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said.
"We must understand that we have a long conflict with Russia ahead of us. This involves NATO and the EU. We must prepare to it accordingly," he said in an interview for Deutsche Welle [deemed foreign agent in Russia]. According to the foreign minister, this primarily concerns Baltic states and Poland.
Billstom noted that Sweden plans to send a part of a mechanized battalion to Latvia, and will reinforce its naval forces near the island of Gotland and the Baltic Sea. He added that Sweden already patrols the airspace in this region and uses its submarines for similar purposes.
Previously, the foreign minister noted that he considers reinforcement of Gotland, which is often being referred to as a "huge aircraft carrier," the most urgent task.
On February 26, the Parliament of Hungary ratified the agreement on Sweden’s accession to NATO. Hungary was the last country - after Turkey - to ratify the protocol on Sweden’s accession to the alliance. Helsinki and Stockholm received an official invitation to NATO during the Madrid summit in June, 2022. On March 7, the protocol on Sweden’s accession officially entered into effect, making this country that alliance’s 32nd member.
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