USA and Sweden sign defense agreement
The US and Sweden have signed a defense cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening military ties and enabling bilateral exercises. The pact paves the way for US forces to operate in Sweden, "including the legal status of US military personnel, access to operational areas (and) the provision of military materiel," the US Department of Defense said.
According to the statement, the agreement was signed on Tuesday by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his Swedish counterpart Pal Jonson.
The two countries "agreed on the importance of continued, robust support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's illegal and full-scale invasion", it added.
In response to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the traditionally non-aligned Sweden, together with its neighbor Finland, applied for NATO membership in May last year. Finland joined the military alliance in April, while Sweden is still waiting for the approval of member states Turkey and Hungary.
The new defense agreement between Sweden and the USA will apply "seamlessly before and after Sweden's accession" to NATO, according to the US State Department. It praised Sweden as a "strong, capable defense partner that upholds NATO values".
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Source: www.ntv.de
