Swedish DefMin: ‘No talking about Ukraine without Ukraine’ as tension over peace negotiations stir
Minister Pal Jonson told Breaking Defense that Europe must also have a say in peace negotiations, because the continent has supplied around 60 percent of all military aid to Ukraine over the last year alone and any settlement will have “important ramifications for security” across the region.
A Swedish CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicle maneuvers through the tree line during a training exercise between Swedish and American forces of the Minnesota National Guard’s 1st Combined Arms Battalion – 194th Armor (DVIDS)
MUNICH — Ukraine must be included in any negotiations aimed at ending war with Russia, Pål Jonson, Sweden’s Defense Minister, told Breaking Defense at the Munich Security Conference today, despite US President Donald Trump opening peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“That is a given. There can be no talking about Ukraine without Ukraine,” said Jonson, as world leaders, defense industry chiefs and analysts gathered for discussions on the opening day of the event. “They have to be involved in these negotiations.”
Europe must also have a say in peace negotiations noted Jonson, because the continent has supplied around 60 percent of all military aid to Ukraine over the last year alone and any settlement will have “important ramifications for security” across the region.
As a priority, Sweden will continue to deliver weapons to Kyiv “as quickly as possible,” so Ukraine can negotiate from a position of strength, he added.
Stockholm has spent SEK 61.9 billion ($5.8 billion) on military aid to Ukraine over the course of the war including supplies of Archer self-propelled howitzers, Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90) infantry fighting vehicles, Pbv 302 armored personnel carriers, RBS Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) and TOW anti-tank missiles.
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Jonson also backed Ukraine’s campaign to join NATO, following Pete Hegseth, US Defense Secretary, telling a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting on Wednesday that the “United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement.”
Sweden entered the alliance last year, following decades of non-military alignment.
“We were very grateful that NATO opened the door for us when we applied in May 2022, and we don’t think that it would be wise to leave Ukraine outside of the Euro-Atlantic structures,” said Jonson. “Therefore we think it’s very important that they have to maintain a membership perspective, even if it is not going to happen tomorrow.”
On US links, Jonson said he had a “good discussion” with Hegseth at a NATO defense ministers meeting on Thursday, without disclosing details.
Hegseth has, however, been “crystal clear” on the need for Europe to “shoulder a lot” more responsibility concerning support for Ukraine, said Jonson. “It’s a valid point,” he explained.
Long-term, Sweden has committed to spending 2.6 percent GDP on defense, significantly boosting expenditure last year with a jump of 28 percent, equivalent to $10.8 billion.
Any additional increase above the 2.6 percent pledge depends on finalizing NATO capability targets, according to Jonson.
Work on the capability targets is “underway,” said Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General on Tuesday. The targets are set to be released in the summer, according to Reuters, and are designed to deliver better standards of readiness, interoperability and coordination across members on items like air and missile defense systems.
Separately, Swedish lawmakers are considering launching a future fighter “enquiry” later this year, following studies on the subject already underway by the Swedish armed forces and the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV). The parliamentary project could begin “later this year,” said Jonson and run for a “couple of years.”
Sweden’s Gripen fighter jet will be in service until around 2060, but Stockholm has decided to settle on a procurement pathway for a next generation aircraft by 2031 and is focused on three options: rely on development of an indigenous platform, join a program with other nations or acquire an off the shelf aircraft.
“I don’t want to jump into any conclusions before the enquiry has even started,” Jonson said, giving nothing away about which option might be favored.
