On Thursday, the government gave the Armed Forces the task of preparing the Swedish contribution to NATO’s readiness in Latvia. The Prime Minister announced this at a press conference together with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa.
The battalion will be under Canadian command at the Adazi military base outside Riga. Sweden will also send, among other things, combat vehicles 90, tanks 122 (also called Leopard 2) and armored all-terrain vehicles 360.
– It’s not about us lending dressings. These are units that are basic trained to operate in Sweden and that continue their training during a six-month period in Latvia together with other NATO forces, says the prime minister.
To send an armed force abroad, the government also needs the approval of the Riksdag.
Recruitment takes place from South Scania regiment P7 in Revingehed. According to Kristersson, the Swedish Armed Forces have signaled that there is a great interest in participating in the mission.
Placing Swedish soldiers in Latvia will also benefit the defense of Sweden, says Kristersson.
– In the same way that the defense of our part of the world begins in Ukraine, the defense of NATO begins in Latvia, among others, he says, referring to the alliance members with a border with Russia.
The neighbor to the east remains a long-term threat to European security, according to Prime Minister Evika Siliņa.
– We know how Russia uses its tools, but we know how we handle it, she says and points to the importance of cooperation.
During Wednesday Sweden also ends military integration with NATO, when Commander-in-Chief Micael Bydén and General Philippe Lavigne sign a joint declaration.
– Together with Finland’s, this is one of the fastest integration processes in NATO’s history, says Kristersson.
