The United States and Sweden signed a military cooperation agreement

– International news – Tasnim News Agency Germany, Sweden and the United States have signed an extensive defense cooperation agreement, according to D-Site. The Swedish government announced this news last night.

This Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) allows the deployment of American forces and equipment such as warplanes, weapons and ammunition in Sweden. The purpose of this agreement is to ensure the rapid defense of the Nordic and Baltic countries in the event of a conflict.

Lloyd J. Austin and Paul Johnson, the defense ministers of the United States and Sweden, signed this agreement on Tuesday night at the Ministry of Defense. America signed in Washington. The agreement gives the US free access to 17 military bases and military training areas in Sweden. Johnson said the more locations the deal covers, the stronger the US presence will be.

The deal sends strong signals of very intensive cooperation on defense policy and is a “deterrent for Russia,” Johnson said. . According to him, this creates better conditions for a peaceful life in what is probably the most difficult security situation in the world since the end of World War II. Austin also named Sweden as one of its strongest and most capable partners and praised it.

Contrary to expectations, the agreement, which was negotiated in secret, prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons. does not. Observers of security policy in Sweden expected such a clause. There are major reservations about nuclear weapons in this country, especially among the left spectrum of parties; Sweden has long fought internationally to abolish these weapons. On the issue of the deployment of nuclear weapons, Johnson said the government does not see a need to have nuclear weapons on Swedish soil, and the United States has said it respects that. The agreement also stipulates that US troops in Sweden are subject to US jurisdiction.

Norway already signed such an agreement with the US in 2021. The agreement allows open access to the four bases and requires a high investment by the US, although it prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons. The United States is also currently negotiating with Denmark and Finland. Negotiations with Finland have already been completed, but no details are known.

Before the agreement with Sweden can take effect, the Swedish parliament must approve it by a three-quarters majority. The DCA applies regardless of Sweden’s accession to NATO. However, such an agreement will significantly facilitate military cooperation between the two countries. Therefore, in Sweden, it was expected that the negotiations on the DCA would be concluded only after the accession to NATO. According to observers, it can be concluded that a longer delay in Sweden’s entry into the defense alliance cannot be ruled out. Turkey and Hungary have not yet agreed to Sweden joining NATO.

Figaro wrote: America and Sweden concluded this agreement to strengthen their military relations and the possibility of holding bilateral exercises while Stockholm is waiting to join NATO.

Moscow’s military operations in Ukraine, which began in February 2022, raised the concern of Finland and Sweden, and these two demanded to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

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