Sweden will send a battalion to Latvia next year to contribute to NATO’s international force in the Baltic country, which borders Russia, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson announced today.
This is the first troop contribution announced by the Nordic country since it joined NATO in March.
Christerson said in January that Sweden would likely send a battalion to Latvia to bolster NATO’s presence.
“This morning the government officially entrusted the Swedish Armed Forces with the task of planning and preparing the Swedish participation of a small motorized battalion in the NATO ground forces in Latvia,” Christerson said during a press conference with his Latvian counterpart, Evika Silina.
This battalion, which will operate for six months, will consist of 400 to 500 soldiers.
“Our aim is to contribute at the level of forces, including the CV90 and Leopard 2 tanks,” the Swedish prime minister added.
“We are planning a deployment early next year following a decision by Parliament,” he added.
News today:
Weather: No Beaufort, with short sleeves on the islands, but with an umbrella in the northern highlands – The first forecast for Easter
Chaos at UK airports: Passport control delays and passenger disruption
Yannis Kallianou’s brother breaks out over the death of their father: There is no SSY, let the prime minister come and tell me otherwise
