by C. Todd Lopez
Department of Defense News April 28, 2023
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III meets with Swedish Minister of Defense, Pal Jonson at Musko Naval Base, Sweden, April 19, 2023. While in Sweden, Secretary Austin will discuss security-related topics of mutual interest between the two nations and speak with senior Swedish defense and government officials. From Stockholm, Secretary Austin will travel to Germany where he and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley will host the 11th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base. AThey will join ministers of defense and senior military officials from nearly 50 nations from around the world to discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and continue our close coordination on providing the Ukrainian people with the means necessary to protect themselves against Russia’s continued aggression. (DoD photo by Chad J. McNeeley)
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has told his Swedish counterpart he hopes that Sweden will get NATO membership before the summer.
On the first day of a four-day trip to Sweden and Germany, Austin met with Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson for a Tuesday morning defense meeting at the headquarters of the Swedish navy on Musko Naval Base near Stockholm.
“Mr. Minister, thanks for the tremendous hospitality. We’re delighted to be here, and I really appreciate the warm welcome from your troops this morning,” Austin told his counterpart. “We look forward to continuing to advocate for your swift admission to NATO, and we’ll work hard to get that done before the summer. I think that’s really, really important.”
Swedish Minister of Defense, Pat Jonson, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Swedish Chief of the Navy, Rear Adm. Ewa Ann-Sofi Skoog Haslum and Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, Gen. Micael Bydén tour the Swedish Visby-class corvette, HSwMS Härnösand (K33) at Musko Naval Base, Sweden, April 19, 2023. While in Sweden, Secretary Austin will discuss security-related topics of mutual interest between the two nations and speak with senior Swedish defense and government officials. From Stockholm, Secretary Austin will travel to Germany where he and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley will host the 11th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base. AThey will join ministers of defense and senior military officials from nearly 50 nations from around the world to discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and continue our close coordination on providing the Ukrainian people with the means necessary to protect themselves against Russia’s continued aggression. (DoD photo by Chad J. McNeeley)
Austin told Jonson that the admission of Sweden to NATO — something that happened earlier this month for neighboring Finland — will greatly enhance the NATO alliance.
“You will … add a lot of value to NATO, our overall effort,” Austin said. “You have … a highly professional military, and you have invested a lot in modernization over the last several years. As you know, our forces have done a lot together and, thereby, increased interoperability here over the last several years. We have one of the largest exercises in recent history ongoing as we speak, and I look forward to some good results coming out of that.”
Right now, Sweden, the U.S., and other European nations are participating in the Swedish military Exercise Aurora 23, which runs to May 11. It is the largest Swedish military exercise in decades and readies participants for responding to an attack on Sweden.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Swedish Minister of Defense, Pal Jonson answer questions during a press conference at Musko Naval Base, Sweden, April 19, 2023. While in Sweden, Secretary Austin will discuss security-related topics of mutual interest between the two nations and speak with senior Swedish defense and government officials. From Stockholm, Secretary Austin will travel to Germany where he and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley will host the 11th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base. AThey will join ministers of defense and senior military officials from nearly 50 nations from around the world to discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and continue our close coordination on providing the Ukrainian people with the means necessary to protect themselves against Russia’s continued aggression. (DoD photo by Chad J. McNeeley)
The U.S, Sweden and multiple other European nations are also spinning up for Exercise Defender 23, which will demonstrate some of the interoperability Austin referenced.
“You’re a great partner,” Austin told Jonson. “We look forward to, very soon, being able to call you an ally.”
During his four-day trip in Europe, Austin is expected to meet with the Swedish prime minister in Stockholm and to also travel south to Germany to host the 11th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.
As in past meetings of the UDCG, discussions are likely to revolve around providing continued support to Ukraine, both now and for the future, while at the same time ensuring the nations involved can maintain their own defense.
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