Stockholm: Sweden’s Liberals are advocating permanent deployment of NATO bases in the country after accession to the alliance, party leader Johan Pehrson said on Sunday.
“I think it should be clear that this is a way to enhance the security of the Swedish people in a situation where the outside world can pose a very serious threat to Sweden … We will now have a completely different task in our part of the world, in our part of NATO. This, in our view, will mean the need for permanent NATO bases,” Pehrson told Sveriges Radio.
The politician also spoke in favour of the continued presence of NATO forces in the country in times of peace, saying that “freedom must be protected.”
Sweden, along with Finland, submitted its NATO application in May 2022, several months after Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine.
Finland became a member of the alliance in April 2023.
Sweden’s application is still pending ratification by Hungary and Turkey.
UNI/SPUTNIK
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