"Where else in Europe can we find 110 brigades?": Sweden supported Ukraine's path to NATO
Kyiv • UNN
Pål Jonson stated that Ukraine will strengthen NATO thanks to its 110 brigades and innovative industry. Sweden supports the country's accession to the Alliance and the EU.
Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson stated on Saturday that Ukraine must have a path to NATO membership, arguing that Ukraine's combat-proven armed forces and rapidly growing defense industry would strengthen the alliance, despite resistance from some member states, Politico reports, according to UNN.
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Speaking at the GLOBSEC forum in Prague, Jonson said that Sweden supports the idea of Ukraine eventually becoming a member of both NATO and the European Union, adding that Ukraine should be given a long-term Euro-Atlantic perspective.
"All European countries should have the right to join NATO as such when they meet the requirements," Jonson said, referring to NATO's open-door policy. "There should be no one who has a right of veto against this. That is our position."
The question of Ukraine's future in NATO remains one of the most sensitive issues in the alliance. Several allies support the idea of keeping the door open for Ukraine, while others fear that moving too quickly could escalate tensions with Russia or import an active war into NATO.
Jonson acknowledged that there is no consensus among allies. "I recognize that there are allies who are against this," he said. "But if you ask me about our position, then this is our position."
The Swedish minister views Ukraine as a future security asset for Europe. He pointed to the scale of Ukraine's armed forces, its wartime innovations, and its defense-industrial potential as reasons for bringing the country closer to NATO.
"Where else in Europe can we find 110 brigades?" Jonson said. "Where else in Europe can we find the innovation system that Ukraine has provided? Where else can we find the same industrial potential?"
Jonson also argued that Ukraine's defense market has become one of the most efficient in Europe, stating that Ukraine has deregulated, privatized, and opened up competition since Russia's full-scale invasion, allowing it to scale up weapons production with extraordinary speed.