“The Minister of Defense of Sweden, Paul Jonson, noted that the countries of Northern Europe and the Baltic countries need to cooperate as much as possible in the defense sphere, because they are “in the same boat” in security matters.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Swedish Minister of Defense Paul Jonson. Photo: rnd.de Source: “European truth,” he said in an interview with the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT
Details: Jonsson was asked about Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s words that the Nordic countries should become “the most integrated region in the world”, including in terms of defense, and whether Sweden sees the Baltics as part of that region.
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Jonson answered in the affirmative and noted that this can already be seen in action – a Swedish mechanized brigade is on duty in Latvia, Swedish Gripen fighters are patrolling in Poland, and there is active cooperation between the countries of the region within NATO.
“I see the entire Nordic-Baltic region as one “operational zone”. So we will either rise together or sink together,” the minister said.
He was also asked whether he considered NATO’s response to Russia’s hybrid provocations, which could be observed recently, to be sufficient.
Jonson said that he considers it good – in particular, in the case of the invasion of the Russian “Gerber” in the sky of Poland, after which the operation “Eastern Sentinel” was launched.
“If you look at the operation “Baltic Sentinel”, which is ongoing in the Baltic Sea, we see good results… We have not seen any recent incidents or attacks with damage to underwater infrastructure. In response to the actions of the Russian Federation, both political statements and military measures are needed. Of course, with the development of technology, Russia adapts, learns from its experience in Ukraine. We must be fast and flexible, technically capable of responding to the new tools that Russia uses.” – said the minister.
It will be recalled that in October, Sweden and Ukraine announced a large-scale agreement on the purchase of up to 150 Swedish Gripen fighters for the Air Force of Ukraine, which provides for partial localization of production in Ukraine.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine says that the estimated date for launching the plant in Ukraine is 2033, but the planes will start arriving much earlier.
Also, based on the results of recent negotiations with Sweden, the creation of a joint defense innovation hub in Ukraine was announced.