A CONVERSATION WITH THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE OF THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN PÅL JONSON - Please join the Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center’s Transatlantic Security Initiative and the Europe Center for a conversation with the Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of Sweden Pål Jonson.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine fundamentally changed Europe’s security architecture, prompting an historic expansion of NATO’s northern flank. After Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s decision last July to back Stockholm’s bid to join the Alliance, Sweden is set to join NATO as the Alliance’s 32nd member. Once inside the Alliance, integrating Sweden into NATO’s deterrence and defense activities will be a critical priority for reinforcing NATO’s northeastern frontier.

As we are reminded daily in Ukraine, defense innovation will be critical to succeed on the battlefields of the future. With its advanced military capabilities, well-trained forces, technical knowhow, and robust defense industrial base, Sweden will play an important role in securing NATO’s strategic advantage across the five operational domains.

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 12/05/23