Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III conducted a counterpart call with Swedish Minister of Defence Pål Jonson this morning to discuss Sweden’s NATO accession, support to Ukraine, and the crisis in the Middle East.
The Secretary and Minister reaffirmed their commitment to Sweden joining NATO, and how their signing of the U.S.-Sweden Defense Cooperation Agreement in December was also a critical step to enhancing the defense relationship. The two officials reiterated their support for Ukraine and agreed on the importance of continued bilateral and multilateral collaboration.
The Secretary and Minister concluded the call with a discussion on the illegal Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.