Sweden in talks with the United States on closer military ties

A defense cooperation agreement would create a legal framework for the presence of U.S. forces in Sweden.

By Reuters January 11, 2023
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A member of the Swedish Army sits in a tank as Swedish Army armored vehicles and tanks participate in the Cold Response 2022 military exercise, which gathers around 30,000 troops from NATO member countries as well as Finland and Sweden, in Setermoen, Norway on March 25, 2022. (Yves Herman / Reuters File Photo)

OSLO — Sweden and the United States have begun negotiations to form deeper security ties in the form of a defense cooperation agreement, the Swedish government said in a statement on Monday.

A DCA will create a legal framework for the presence of U.S. forces in Sweden and enables an even closer bilateral cooperation than facilitated by NATO membership, the Swedish defense ministry said.

“The United States is Sweden’s most important security and defense partner, both bilaterally and within NATO,” the ministry said.

Sweden in May applied alongside Finland to join NATO in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but the application is still awaiting the approval of members Hungary and Turkey.

Reporting by Terje Solsvik.

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