Sweden may allow deployment of U.S. soldiers at its military bases
Photo: Sweden Considers Allowing Deployment of U.S. Soldiers at Its Military Bases (Getty Images)
Sweden will sign a defense agreement with the United States that will allow American soldiers to be stationed at Swedish military bases, according to SVT.
It is reported that the Swedish Minister of Defense, Paul Johnson, who is currently visiting the United States, will sign the defense cooperation agreement with the U.S. on Tuesday, December 5th, in the afternoon according to American time.
This will take place during the minister's visit to the Pentagon, where he will meet with the head of the agency, Lloyd Austin.
Discussions on such an agreement between Sweden and the U.S. have been ongoing since early 2023.
It is expected that the document will allow U.S. military personnel to be present at military bases and depots in Sweden, although they will still be prohibited from establishing their own bases. In addition, U.S. soldiers in Sweden will primarily be subject to U.S. law, not Swedish law.
For the agreement to take effect, it must be approved by the Swedish parliament. It is expected to happen in the fall of 2024.
Sweden in NATO
Recall that last year, Sweden applied for membership in the North Atlantic Alliance.
As of today, all NATO members have approved Sweden's initiative, except for Türkiye and Hungary.
Recently, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan submitted Sweden's application to the parliament for consideration. Stockholm hopes that ratification will take place soon.
