UK defence secretary Ben Wallace met with Danish and Swedish defence leaders last week to reaffirm Britain’s commitment to its Nordic allies and discuss NATO’s response to shared threats.
Denmark and Sweden are members of the Joint Expeditionary Force [JEF] led by the UK; a body comprised of ten nations that complements the work of NATO and helps sustain European security by providing an effective maritime task force that is readily deployable anywhere in the world where it may be needed.
The UK government has previously highlighted its commitment to its Nordic neighbours in both its Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper, stating that it will continue to work with these nations to ensure increasing access to the region and its resources is managed in a safe, responsible and sustainable manner.
In separate talks with Danish defence minister Trine Bramsen and Sweden’s defence minister Peter Hultqvist, Wallace reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to collaborating with both nations on defence-related affairs and discussed the unfolding situation in eastern Europe and increasing levels of competition in the Arctic region.
The defence secretary also met with ambassadors from other nations in the JEF to discuss how to co-ordinate resources to respond to grey-zone threats.
Wallace commented: “At a time of growing threats and increasing competition in the High North, we have some of the closest cooperation with our Danish, Swedish and Norwegian partners.
“We work together annually on military exercises and operations, learning from each other and strengthening our partnerships.
“Our ability to operate in this way is the firm foundation of our shared resolve to stand up for our values.”
During his mission, Wallace visited Arvidsjaur in Swedish Lapland, meeting with personnel from the Norrland Dragoon Regiment specialised in Arctic warfare, in a bid to deepen British knowledge and expertise on the subject.
Since 2019, the UK and Sweden have been committed to a Memorandum of Understanding on the Tempest Programme, a Future Combat Air System. Both nations will continue to work on the programme which will help support UK national security and European security in the coming decades.
