Around Europe, more and more countries are now investing more in defense.
However, significantly more may be required, according to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in connection with the NATO summit in Washington.
For the first time, Sweden is now part of the context as an official NATO member. How and to what extent support for Ukraine will be formulated is one of the main questions during the three days in Washington.
Another question is how NATO will handle member countries that currently do not meet the two-percent target, i.e., allocate at least two percent of the country's GDP to defense.
One of the sinners is Canada. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson points out that he does not want to comment on individual countries, but says:
— Very many countries are now living up to the target, unlike before, when the target was a formality.
Looking at the uncertain world we have now, the risk is obvious that we need to drive up defense investments even more, he says.
Does not want to specify a figure
There have been discussions about an increase to up to three percent. Ulf Kristersson, however, does not want to specify a specific figure for what may eventually be required.
I have no figure. Now, as a new NATO member, we are taking it upon ourselves to exceed the existing floor and urging other countries to do the same.
The challenges are, however, several. For the US, there is an obvious risk that the country wants to scale down its military presence in Europe, particularly due to geopolitical tensions in Asia – not least between China and Taiwan. Ulf Kristersson says in the face of such a scenario:
The most important thing we can do from European NATO countries is to ensure that Europe is well-equipped and prove to the US that we take our responsibility. We are not leaving it to American taxpayers to finance Europe's defense.
If we do that, the interest from the US side – regardless of administration – to cooperate with European NATO countries will also increase.
Support for Ukraine
Beyond military aid, the focus during the meeting is on continued support for Ukraine. There has been talk of a multi-billion investment over a year.
During the day, it was also announced that Ukraine will receive F-16 fighter jets, something that has been requested by President Volodymyr Zelensky for a long time. From both Danish and Dutch sides, it is announced that the process is now underway for delivery this summer. Norway and Belgium will also contribute with that type of fighter jet.
Already on Tuesday, it was announced that Ukraine will receive five new air defense systems.
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) is a transatlantic defense alliance founded in 1949.
It consists of 32 member countries today, of which 14 were part of the former Eastern Bloc. The latest countries to join were Finland in April 2023 and Sweden in March 2024.
NATO was created to preserve peace in the North Atlantic area by deterring armed attacks against the alliance's members.
The core of NATO is the so-called Article 5, which states that an attack on a NATO country is an attack on the entire alliance and that all members are obliged to help.
Source: The Foreign Policy Institute, NATO
