The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Maria Malmer, called this decision historic.
Points of attention
- Sweden made a historic decision to patrol NATO airspace and provide armed forces for NATO's collective defense, marking a significant shift in its foreign policy.
- After long negotiations and meeting Turkey's demands, Sweden joined NATO in March 2024, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- The decision for Sweden to join NATO and patrol its airspace signifies a departure from its longstanding policy of neutrality.
- Sweden plans to allocate eight fighter jets to patrol NATO airspace, complementing its contribution to NATO forces in Latvia.
- The inclusion of Sweden as the 32nd member of NATO highlights the growing cooperation and shared security concerns among European nations.
Swedish fighters will patrol NATO airspace
The Swedish authorities plan to allocate eight fighter jets to patrol NATO airspace next year.
This was announced by the country's government at a press conference.
The Swedish fighter jets will complement the warships and 600 servicemen planned to be deployed alongside NATO forces in Latvia.
This is a historic decision. For the first time as a member of the Alliance, we will provide armed forces for the collective defense of NATO, and we will do so with a significant contribution.
Maria Malmer
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden
Sweden joined NATO: what is known
Sweden applied to join NATO in May 2022, along with its neighbor Finland. Such a decision of the countries arose after the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine.
Before that, Sweden had followed a policy of neutrality for decades.
The country's accession to NATO was not easy, not least because of Turkey's demands. After long negotiations and the fulfillment of some conditions, Turkey agreed to Sweden's accession to the Alliance.
Sweden became a full member of NATO on March 7, 2024. As of this moment, there are 32 member countries in the Alliance.
