The statement is made ahead of the planned crisis meeting in Paris on Monday, where European top leaders will discuss the US decision that Europe is not allowed to sit at the negotiating table.
I think the Swedish message must be very, very clear. It's about Ukraine's future not being decided over their heads, but Ukraine must naturally have full participation in all potential peace negotiations. But it's also the case that Europe's security cannot be decided without the EU sitting at the table, says Andersson.
"A clear requirement"
Is there a risk that the Swedish message will not be clear enough?
Ulf Kristersson has said that the US decides who they want to invite to different negotiations. Absolutely, but Sweden can set clear requirements on what we think.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (The Moderate Party) has said that it should be a matter of course that Europe gets a place at the negotiating table. Isn't that clear enough?
Then I think we should say that it's a clear requirement from Europe.
Can the US be persuaded to let the EU participate?
Anything else is completely unreasonable, the EU should set a very clear requirement.
Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (The Moderate Party) accuses Magdalena Andersson of "trying to sow discord and pick up cheap domestic political points" which, according to the minister, "is the last thing the EU or Sweden needs right now".
"The Prime Minister, myself, and the Defense Minister have been crystal clear. We expect the EU to sit at the table at any negotiations. I have also conveyed this directly to Trump's envoy for Ukraine.", writes the Foreign Minister in a statement to TT.
"Extremely provocative"
The Social Democrats are also critical of the US demand for access to Ukrainian mineral resources in exchange for continued support to the country. Andersson says that "you can't give someone a gift and then demand payment for it afterwards".
I also think we should be clear about what we're seeing now, where the American administration is demanding Ukrainian natural resources in exchange for support, it's extremely provocative when Ukraine is under attack in an illegal war. That's not how you act towards friends.
