WATCH NOW: NATO Foreign Ministers Meet in Sweden | Ukraine & Defence Spending Talks | AC15

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:39]There is nothing like the sound of freedom.

[00:00:42]Your Majesty's Secretary General Rutte, Prime Minister, Ministers, distinguished colleagues, it's a great honor to welcome you to my home region and to the city of Helsingborg.

[00:00:55]Helsingborg's strategic location has made it central to this region for centuries. Just across the Øresund strait, less than 5 km from here in Elsinore, Helsingør, Shakespeare's Prince Hamlet posed the famous question whether it is better to be or not to be.

[00:01:15]Even in Hamlet's time, political control over Øresund was a defining strategic issue. Over the years, Sweden and Denmark fought more wars than perhaps any two other nations. Today, we are not just neighbors with a bridge crossing the strait that unites us. We are allies. We are NATO.

[00:01:39]The Øresund strait is a vital artery both for trade and for our security.

[00:01:46]Last year, about as many barrels of oil passed through here as through the Suez Canal. Many of them on ships that were part of the Russian shadow fleet. And this reminds us of where the greatest threat to our alliance is coming from and of the importance of investing more in our capabilities, in our defense and our deterrence.

[00:02:11]It also reminds us of the importance of supporting Ukraine. Yesterday, I had the honor of welcoming our dear Ukrainian colleague to my hometown Kristianstad, just little more than an hour away from here.

[00:02:26]In Kristianstad, the Ukrainian leader Philip Orlik, who wrote the first Ukrainian constitution, lived in exile with a big part of the Ukrainian government around 300 years ago after having fought side by side against Russia.

[00:02:42]This is just one illustration of our shared history and our strong ties.

[00:02:48]Dear Andriy, I'm very happy that you are here with us tonight for the informal NATO-Ukraine Council dinner.

[00:02:56]Just as you are contributing to our safety, we will continue to contribute to yours.

[00:03:03]As you can tell, this place is steeped in history.

[00:03:08]It means something special not only to me, to Sweden and to the Öresund region, but also to His Majesty the King, whom I now have the great honor of giving the floor.

[00:03:23]Thank you.

[00:03:25]>> [applause] [applause] >> Secretary General, Your Excellencies and dear friends, I would like to welcome you all of you to the Sofiero Castle.

[00:03:48]We are happy to host you at Sofiero for the meeting of the NATO ministers of foreign affairs.

[00:03:56]It reflects both the trust placed in our country and our strong commitment to the allies.

[00:04:08]Meeting here at the Sofiero highlights the close ties with our neighboring countries and the gateway to the Baltic Sea.

[00:04:21]A key area for Sweden's engagement in NATO.

[00:04:27]The Sofiero Castle is a historic royal estate and served as a summer residence of my grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolf.

[00:04:40]And I spent many summers here.

[00:04:44]And the garden is renowned for large collection of rhododendron, which blooms in early summer. They are not full bloom today, unfortunately, but they will come soon. Please come back.

[00:04:58]And my my grandfather and his English-born uh spouse, Margareta of Great Britain, were true gardening enthusiasts.

[00:05:12]So, ladies and gentlemen, Sweden stands more secure today than before joining NATO.

[00:05:21]And um the alliance is also stronger with all Nordic-Baltic countries as members.

[00:05:33]Being a committed ally, Sweden contributes significantly to NATO shared security.

[00:05:42]Through our strategic geographic and strong military capability in air, on land, and at sea.

[00:05:55]Last year, I visited the Swedish NATO troops in Latvia and the NATO headquarters.

[00:06:03]And I had the opportunity to meet briefly with Secretary General Rutte and Sakhar and several ambassadors.

[00:06:15]Their message was clear.

[00:06:18]In the light of the security situation, the allies is strengthening its collective defense.

[00:06:28]The visit underscored how quickly Sweden has become a trusted ally.

[00:06:37]In just over 2 years, Sweden has moved from a position of a military non-alignment to being a reliable security provider together with NATO.

[00:06:53]And more recently, I had the honor of visiting Lviv in Ukraine.

[00:07:01]I met with the President Zelenskyy, war veterans, and well, some school children.

[00:07:08]And the courage of the Ukrainian people in the face of Russian's full-scale invasion has made an an lasting impact on me.

[00:07:22]Ukraine shows remarkable determination for resistant Russian's aggression, and you have our full support.

[00:07:33]So, ladies and gentlemen, once again, welcome to Sweden and to this Sofiero Castle, and I wish you all a pleasant evening today. Thank you.

[00:07:47]>> [applause] [applause] >> Your majesties, distinguished guests, when Sweden finally joined NATO in March 2 years ago, it was a moment shaped by history, but also guided by responsibility.

[00:08:17]Expectations for Sweden were high, and we've been ambitious and decisive.

[00:08:24]Since joining, Sweden has contributed in ways that reflect not only our geography and our capacity, but also demonstrate our indisputable commitment to Euro-Atlantic security.

[00:08:39]Our fighter jets have conducted air policing in Poland, over the Baltic Sea, and in the high north.

[00:08:47]Our soldiers are contributing to NATO's collective forward land forces.

[00:08:52]Our marines and coast guard officers counter the Russian shadow fleet, and we have trained and exercised together in Baltops and Steadfast Noon.

[00:09:03]And as a framework nation for forward land forces, Finland, we are taking responsibility for deterrence and stability in this part of Europe.

[00:09:15]For centuries, Sweden's neighborhood has repeatedly been threatened by Russia.

[00:09:22]And now we experience that threat again.

[00:09:27]We fully recognize that Europe must step up its own spending and military capabilities, and assume a greater share of the burden for NATO's collective defense.

[00:09:39]We also count on that burden shift being conducted in a very orderly manner.

[00:09:47]But, let's stop calling this a burden.

[00:09:50]In fact, we share investments we have because we have shared responsibility.

[00:09:59]In Sweden, we are committed to doing our part, reaching the 5% defense spending target by 2030.

[00:10:07]While we all continue to do more at home, as well as together, we must not forget that our first line of defense remains the support for Ukraine.

[00:10:20]And that Russia remains the most serious threat.

[00:10:26]That's the key reason why we continue to be one of the largest donors of military support to Ukraine.

[00:10:34]I'm pleased to join you tonight for this informal NATO-Ukraine Council to discuss how to sustain that support, while at the same time learning from Ukraine's war-proven capabilities.

[00:10:49]In doing so, let's remember that supporting Ukraine goes beyond security.

[00:10:57]In fact, we defend the core values on which this alliance once was founded.

[00:11:05]Once again, most welcome to Sweden.

[00:11:08]Thank you.

[00:11:10]>> [applause] [applause] >> Your Majesties, Majesties, Excellencies, uh Ministers, drinks are now being served uh upstairs for heads of delegations uh around the corner for delegations.

[00:11:37]They're equally good and we hope you'll enjoy the evening with us.

[00:11:42]Please welcome.