Sweden is expected to be joining NATO soon, becoming the 32nd Member of the alliance. Before that, it is still necessary to obtain the agreement of Turkey and Hungary to extend the alliance.
Zviedrijas premjers Ulf Kristersson @SwedishPM ir paziņojis par Zviedrijas nodomu nosūtīt uz Latviju bataljona lieluma kontingentu NATO kaujas grupu sabiedroto spēku sastāvā!
— Andris Spruds (@AndrisSpruds) January 8, 2024
Esam gandarīti par šo nozīmīgo lēmumu, kas līdz ar gaidāmo Zviedrijas uzņemšanu NATO kļūs par būtisku…
Swedish newspaper DN, citing its sources, says it is planned to send a mechanized battalion to Latvia, which will include about 800 soldiers, as well as armored vehicles and combat cars, possibly also “Leopard” tanks. The Swedish army's management plans for this unit to arrive in Latvia in early 2025.
Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds (Progressives) says in a conversation with DN that this is great news for Latvia because the presence of NATO forces is important for Latvia's security.
The Swedish battalion is expected to form part of the Canada-led NATO force's enhanced forward presence battle group.
In the summer of 2023, Latvia and Canada signed an agreement to double the number of Canadian soldiers stationed in Latvia.