Sweden's Defence Minister has said he remains confident of the country's full accession to the Nato alliance as soon as this summer, despite the failure of Turkey and Hungary to ratify the bid.
Speaking at the London Defence Conference, Pal Jonson said the Swedish domestic consensus behind Nato membership was strong, even after Finland entered the alliance ahead of its neighbour. Now all eyes are on the forthcoming Nato summit in the capital of Lithuania in mid-July.
"What I can say is that I feel a growing momentum and growing sense of urgency that we should join the alliance and we are hopeful that we can do it by Vilnius," he said.
"This is a sovereign decision of Turkey and a sovereign decision of the parliament of the Hungarians."
He said a memorandum of understanding with Turkey signed at a previous summit in Madrid had been implemented on the Swedish side. Turkey is braced for a second round of its presidential election on Sunday and diplomats from Nato countries are quietly hopeful of a shift in Ankara once the campaign trail dust has settled.
Mr Jonson said: "We have implemented that [MOU]. We have changed our terrorist legislation. We have joined Nato's fund against international terrorism and we have a dialogue on terrorism.
"We need the kind of security that Nato produces and represents. For me it is only natural for us to have a seat at the table and join the alliance."
The Swedish and Finnish decision to move away from neutrality was triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the preceding attempt by the Kremlin to demand a treaty of security guarantees with the West. The Swedish tradition of neutrality was previously deep-rooted.
"The concept of military non-alignment was very much ingrained into the Swedish identity," Mr Jonson said. "I think during the Cold War it was to a certain degree perceived as a position of moral high ground."
Mr Jonson said the accession of Sweden to Nato would deliver new access and strategic advantages to the alliance, particularly in the Baltic Sea and in areas such as air defence. "By Sweden now joining, we are consolidating Nato at a military level and also on a political level," he said. "It makes the northern dimension of Nato more secure and more stable."
The minister noted that accession was the "mother of all unintended consequences" for the Kremlin but while the Russian army is currently absorbed with Ukraine, other sections of its armed forces remain largely intact.
"Russia's ground forces are now tied up in Ukraine," Mr Jonson said. "As Minister of Defence I see that their ground forces are both severely weakened and tied up in Ukraine but when I look at their naval assets and when I look at their aerial assets they are almost intact in our area.
"My long-term reading of Russia is that it is going to reconstitute itself and is going to adapt its force posture to the fact that Sweden and Finland are going to be fully fledged members of the alliance."
Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
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Biog:
Age: 34
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite sport: anything extreme
Favourite person: Muhammad Ali
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The Specs
Price, base Dh379,000
Engine 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 503bhp
Torque 443Nm
On sale now
More coverage from the Future Forum
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Schedule:
Pakistan v Sri Lanka:
28 Sep-2 Oct, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi
6-10 Oct, 2nd Test (day-night), Dubai
13 Oct, 1st ODI, Dubai
16 Oct, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
18 Oct, 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi
20 Oct, 4th ODI, Sharjah
23 Oct, 5th ODI, Sharjah
26 Oct, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
27 Oct, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
29 Oct, 3rd T20I, Lahore
Dubai Rugby Sevens, December 5 -7
World Sevens Series Pools
A – Fiji, France, Argentina, Japan
B – United States, Australia, Scotland, Ireland
C – New Zealand, Samoa, Canada, Wales
D – South Africa, England, Spain, Kenya
MATCH INFO
Champions League last 16, first leg
Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
