Tobias Billstrom, the foreign minister of Sweden, which recently joined NATO, was quick to criticise the alliance for not doing enough to help Ukraine, and urged allies to create more difficulties for Russia, Euractiv reports.
In an interview for Euractiv, Billstrom said:
“We have to create more strategic difficulties for Russia.”
His comments came after French President Emmanuel Macron called for “strategic ambiguity” on Russia and hinted at the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine, sparking fierce debate among Europeans.
Billstrom said Paris’ idea would go too far for Sweden, which only joined NATO in March, ending 200 years of military non-alignment. Billström added, hinting that Stockholm found the unfolding debate around Macron’s comments untimely and distracting:
“Regarding the French proposal to train Ukrainian personnel on Ukrainian soil, it’s not on the table for Sweden.”
Billstrom emphasised that the Ukrainian military needs replenishment of “almost everything”. He also said, adding that Kyiv’s armed forces need “more of almost everything”:
“NATO is not doing enough for Ukraine.”
Providing more military equipment for Ukraine “is not a question of industrial capacity,” he said. Minister claimed, pointing out that the US and Europe had far more joint production capacity than Russia:
“[This] comes down to political leadership and political will.”
Billstrom said he sees his country as key to strengthening Europe’s own security, given its strategic position and capabilities in artificial intelligence and space.
Sweden became NATO’s 32nd member earlier this month, almost two years after its application was delayed due to disagreements with Turkey and Hungary. Billstrom noted Stockholm will seek to strengthen deterrence and capitalise on its strategically important role in the Baltic Sea.
Billstrom also stressed that Sweden stands firmly with those governments that want to focus on organising European defence together with NATO and “in connection with the transatlantic link”.
Since all Baltic states, excluding Russia, are members of NATO, Sweden also intends to discuss how the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) can be repurposed to address security issues, Billstrom said.
The German Foreign Ministry stressed that it looks forward to “further deepening close cooperation with Finland and Sweden as NATO partners in the [NATO] Alliance,” stressing that “the CBSS is a forum for political dialogue.”
